by John O’Malley
“And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee” (Ruth 2:4).
Boaz, our new principal character, broke across the line of the horizon as he came from town to see about his business in the fields. It would not be uncommon for the field owner to check on his fields during the time of harvest. As the field owner, Boaz had every right to see after his servants, their service, and the status of the harvest. His arrival was not in judgment, but rather in an inspection of his expectation for the harvest.
Our Eternal Boaz has an interest in His harvest and His harvesters. His harvest is one of souls. He has an expectation of His harvest. He knows when the seed was planted, and He knows when there should be a reaping. He knows what His fields will produce given the conditions they have been experiencing.
Jesus, our Eternal Boaz, also has an expectation of His harvesters. He expects them to be present in the fields and prepared to work in the fields. He will not leave His workers in the field without provision.
When Jesus inspects the section of the harvest we are working on for Him, what does He find?Are we present in the fields? Are we reaping the harvest He expected us to receive for the seed He had cast there? Are we producing for Him in the fields?
It is rather easy to spend all of our time checking on everyone else’s lack of productivity in the harvest. Often we do this and neglect our own production for Him. When He comes, let us determine to be found present, productive, and pleasing to Him in the work of the harvest.