MY
DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL
Devotion
for Thursday January 19, 2017
Topic:
There Was No Ulterior Motive
Text:
Ruth 2:4 – 9
Men and women can be used as reapers
in the Near East. The binding of the sheaves was normally done by women, the
handling of the sheaves by men. The rough male labourers in Israel could be as
crude and insulting to young women. However, Boaz spared Ruth from insult and
exhaustion by letting her glean right behind his women field workers.
He also provided water for Ruth by
urging her to go to the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have
drawn. These kind gestures by Boaz had no ulterior motives attached to them. He
had heard about so much love, friendship and care Ruth had shown Naomi. These
challenged Boaz because such love can hardly be seen between mother in laws and
daughters in laws.
This type of kindness that Boaz
showed Ruth is no longer or hardly in practice in our communities again. Most
men help widows only on the condition that they play games with them. Some of
the men would even go as far as withdrawing some of the rights of these women
as a means of pressurizing them to yield to their demands. Unfortunately, some
of these men are even in the church today as leaders and elders.
Do you attach ulterior motives in the
help or charity you offer widows, pastors and the poor in the society? Do you
give out your goods because of what you intend to gain? We shouldn’t attach
motives to our good deeds. God recompenses and He will recompense us. Let our
good deeds speak well of us and not bad of us. God bless you and have a great
day.
Food
for Thought: What
are the motives behind your alms and charity – to take advantage of people or
on humanitarian grounds?
Memory
verse: Ruth
2 verse 8 - Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to
glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women.”
Prayer:
Help
me never to attach any ulterior motive to the alms and charity I give to people
in Jesus name. Amen.
