Gleaning from the Word

‘So she gleaned in the field until evening’
~Ruth 2:17

Let me learn from Ruth, the gleaner. As she went out to gather the ears of corn, so must I go forth into the fields of prayer, meditation, the ordinances, and hearing the Word to gather spiritual food.

The gleaner gathers her portion ear by ear; her gains are little by little: so must I be content to search for single truths, if there be no greater plenty of them. Every ear helps to make a bundle, and every gospel lesson assists in making us wise unto salvation.

The gleaner keeps her eyes open: if she stumbled among the stubble in a dream, she would have no load to carry home rejoicing at eventide. I must be watchful in religious exercises lest they become unprofitable to me; I fear I have lost much already – O that I may rightly estimate my opportunities, and glean with greater diligence.

The gleaner stoops for all she finds, and so must I. High spirits criticize and object, but lowly minds glean and receive benefit. A humble heart is a great help towards profitably hearing the gospel. The engrafted soul-saving Word is not received except with meekness. A stiff back makes a bad gleaner; down, master pride, thou art a vile robber, not to be endured for a moment.

What the gleaner gathers she holds: if she dropped one ear to find another, the result of her day’s work would be but scant; she is as careful to retain as to obtain, and so at last her gains are great. How often do I forget all that I hear; the second truth pushes the first out of my head, and so my reading and hearing end in much ado about nothing! Do I feel duly the importance of storing up the truth? A hungry belly makes the gleaner wise; if there be no corn in her hand, there will be no bread on her table; she labors under the sense of necessity, and hence her tread is nimble and her grasp is firm. I have even a great necessity; Lord, help me to feel it, that it may urge me onward to glean in fields which yield so plenteous a reward to diligence.

- From Spurgeon's Morning & Evening

Daniel Hannan - boldness Americans should have

Why can't politicians in America have this sort of concise, articulate, courageous response to the bureaucracy and tyranny our nation seems determined to keep sliding toward?!

Magnificent Obsession

Because I have no time for a "real" update right now... here are the lyrics to a rediscovered-and-now-current-favorite song.

"Magnificent Obsession" by Steven Curtis Chapman

Lord, you know how much
I want to know so much
in the way of answers and explanations
I have cried and prayed
but still I seem to stay
in the middle of life's complications
all this pursuing leaves me
feeling like I'm chasing down the wind
but now it's brought me back to You
and I can see again

this is everything I want
this is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for you
Jesus, be my magnificent obsession

capture my heart again
take me to depths I've never been
into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy
return me to the cross
let me be completely lost
in the wonder of the love that You've shown me
cut through these chains that tie me down
to so many lesser things
let all my dreams fall to the ground
until this one remains

this is everything I want
this is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for you
Jesus, be my magnificent obsession

You are everything I want
You are everything I need
I want You to be my one consuming passion
everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for you
Jesus, be my magnificent obsession