Handfuls Of Purpose, By Rev. Daniel Bossidy

Handfuls Of Purpose There are principles in God’s Word that if we will do them shall not only bring us blessings now but have eternal value. Ruth 2:16 says, “And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.” We see in our text that Boaz gave his men instructions to leave something for this stranger on purpose. In order to secure the blessings of God through our sowing, it must be done “…of purpose.” When the farmer sows his field, he plants the seed with purpose. He must think about the seed and plants with care. Every seed has different needs. Some need more water than others. Some need to be left on their own, while other plants need a lot of attention. Some needs protection from animals, while others need protection from mold or insects. Every type of sowing has certain needs. So there is purpose to what we do. We don’t just cast seed every which way and expect a harvest. To sow with purpose is to sow with care. So it is spiritually. To paint a little picture, Ruth was from the land of Moab. It was a place the people of Israel learned to dislike because when they came out of Egypt the king of Moab would not let them pass through the land on the way home. Even after they promised not to touch anything or destroy anything in their land, the Moabites were not friendly to Israel and they tried to bribe Balaam the prophet to curse them. So it was decreed that a Moabite could not enter the congregation of the Lord unto the 10th generation (Deuteronomy 23:3). This woman called Ruth, from the land of Moab, was a special lady. The Bible tells us she was virtuous. Boaz saw some qualities in her that others could not see. He saw in her someone worthy to invest in; someone worthy to sow into. Thank God Jesus saw something in us that caused Him to take that chance and sow His life into us! The importance of how we sow is vital in God’s eyes. It brought Ruth into the inheritance because Boaz was willing to marry Ruth and raise up her firstborn under the name of her late husband. He sowed into her life and reaped a virtuous woman. She was loyal and faithful, believing God for an impossible situation according to Jewish law. She had positioned herself into a place where this wealthy man of God was willing to put his very name on the line for her. Ruth was the great-grandmother of David the king. Boaz’s livelihood was in the fields. He didn’t just let anyone reap his fields. He was a business man that watched his fields. He saw when Ruth entered his fields. He gave the young men a charge concerning her, to leave her alone and leave some handfuls of purpose for her. She was supporting her mother-in-law. Everyone is a support to someone. We all have a work to do in God’s fields. It is how God set things up. You actually have to find favor with the owner of the land. This is where many people fall short of the purpose of God. They want things their own way, but the fields belong to the Lord and He alone appoints the wages. He tells us where to sow and how to sow. After all, they are His fields! He tells us where to sow. If we sow with joy we shall reap blessings. II Corinthians 9:6 & 7 says, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” This is the pattern we are to follow in sowing. If we sow sparingly (stingily) we shall reap the same. But if we sow bountifully we shall reap the same way. We are told to give as we purpose in our hearts: not with grief or sorrow, and not with necessity or under stress to give. But our giving must be cheerful and of a free-will, with joy. It should never be done to keep us from guilt in the future but when we give we are investing our lives into someone or something else for the benefit of humanity. God loves a cheerful giver. A cheerful giver is literally a “hilarious” giver. They do it with such joy and freedom it causes others to rejoice. It is done with thought and care and love and joy and hope. It is a gift of grace whose benefits are immeasurable. Verse 8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” This promise is often overlooked, but God makes all grace abound to the giver. The cheerful giver not only has what they need but they have all sufficiency in all things. They are able to pay their way through the cold winters and the hot summers. Their confidence is not in their bank accounts on earth but in the banks of heaven. Verses 9

& 10 says God’s Word even gives seed to the sower. “(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.)” We can speak the Word of God and He will supply us seed so we can sow and be blessed. His Word creates these things. If we will do the thing that is right in God’s eyes, He will fulfill the blessings promised the giver. You cannot claim the blessings of a giver if you don’t give. You cannot reap what you do not sow. As a matter of fact, the Word of God will not feed us or have anything for us if we do not sow by faith. We should be more concerned with finding seed to sow than reaping blessings because our seed is our future. What we harvest can rot and spoil. But it is our seed that provides us hope and confidence for the days ahead. A person who continually sows has a continuous harvest. The Word of God is rich and vibrant and alive for them. And God is able to make all grace abound toward them. Health springs forth speedily for them and they shall rejoice in times to come. Wall Street cannot dictate what blessings God’s Word has in store for the cheerful giver! II Corinthians 9:6-15 actually is our confidence going into spiritual battles. Nothing can defeat a person who is a giver. They don’t lack for anything. Proverbs 19:17 tells us, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.” Wow! The Lord will pay you again. To have pity means to bend or stoop in kindness, as Boaz did for Ruth. It brings something into your life by God that comes no other way. A person who sees the need of those less fortunate than they get an excitement or zest for life that is unexplainable. They are exalted in the land of the living. Notice He said “lends unto the Lord.” It means we have to do something 1st that makes God answerable to His Word. He designed a plan that causes His people to be blessed. They cannot escape His blessings if they make this a practice in their lives. They twine themselves in a covenant agreement with God that not even the devil and his angels can break. No wonder the devil tries to keep you from giving. If he can do that God won’t bless you. If you think ill about giving you will never be blessed. The same way you give is the same way you shall be paid back. If you want to be blessed, sow the blessings! Be liberal in your giving. Be abundant in your sharing the blessings of God. Everything we have is from Him anyway. He will make restitution or restore what you give to the poor in the name of the Lord. If this is not a joyful message for you, don’t give. If you can’t give without feeling obligated please don’t put anything in the offering. But if you feel inspired by this message, then by all means give until you can’t find any more vessels to fill! Look to sow into your church, into the missions we support, into the fields of people who are poor and needy and hurting. Look into the investments God has provided for the church and we shall build the kingdom of God together! Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” God remembers everything you do and everything you give. I don’t have to keep track of my giving: He remembers. This frees me from holding that information so I can just be liberal in giving. I’m looking where to give and how I can give more. My concern is finding more seed to sow. “Lord, let me sow abundantly in quantity and quality. Let me sow continually and joyfully and let others be partakers of my harvest of blessings so they, too, can learn the secrets of a blessed life. Amen.” Luke 6; 38 Jesus tells us to give for it will come back. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” There is purpose in this type of giving. If we fail to help the poor and we withhold our seed, God will withhold His Word from us. Soon, the church seems to change from love to law. But it isn’t the church: it’s You! You will be fed if you reach out to others. There are things we all can do. We can find something to give others in the name of the Lord. Even if it’s a cake or a meal or something to make someone’s life easier: sow into others. Sow with no strings attached. Sow without expecting anything in return and you will be surprised when you reap the harvest!

This is not all selfishness on our part. God ordained giving as a way we can be a part of salvation going to the ends of the earth. God made it so that we must bring the Gospel to the lost We are bound to send His Word and it will heal the nations. Be a part of God’s kingdom by supporting your church and the ministry He gave us. If we do, we shall receive a reward. If we don’t, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed to us. How many places around the world my feet have never touched, but I was there through giving? I have been to Africa and South America; I have traveled down the dusty paths of Zambia and D.R. Congo. I was in Liberia years ago before and during their terrible civil war. I have been in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. I have also been in North Carolina and down South after the hurricanes swept through there. How? Through my giving. Learn to give and you will help countless thousands of people. Amen.