Are You a Gleaner of Truth?
The Gleaners by Jean Francois Millet
"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."
Deuteronomy 4:29
It's the end of the day in the fields. The horses pull a loaded hay wagon towards the barns. Men go in with armloads of hay. The overseer watches and directs from his horse. The field is cleaned of its produce - but not quite. Three women are the focus of this picture. Their tattered clothing and dark skin show that they are poor, working women. They are gleaning. They have been allowed by the field's owner to walk the field when the harvest is finished and gather any leftovers.
These bits of hay or straw or wheat mean nothing to the field's owner, but to these ladies it means food for their families. The work requires constant stooping in the late afternoon heat. It is tiring work and no one talks. They are focused on their task and bent on filling their aprons - made into pouches. Their efforts will give them enough to make bread today - for themselves and their family. It will be precious food for one day. That loaf will quiet the growl of hungry stomachs.
Could this be an example of our search for truth? God has given His word to us in the Bible. We can read a chapter and skim off the obvious truth. But, if we are gleaners of truth, we will keep seeking long after the main truths have been digested. We will examine the tough verses, the simple verses, the obvious verses and in the doing will find nuggets of truth that others will miss. We will find enough to quiet the growl in our hungry heart.
God will give us what we seek for. He promises we will find if we search with all of our hearts. Are you hungry for truth? Are you hungry to know God's mind and heart on an issue? Then be a gleaner. Dig past the surface and ask God to guide you into the deeper truths below the surface. One precious truth may be the answer to what you are seeking.