Ruth 2:14

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

An older gentleman joined our course a few years back. I don’t know why he joined other than he got displeased with his last course and we had a regular game each morning for retirees. It wasn’t long before he complained about the greens during an abnormally dry spell that summer. Then, it was the length of the hay in the field beyond the rough. Next, the tournament committee heard about it for making him move back a set of tees for our annual invitational. One of the final nails causing us to never see him again was the moving back of the “gold tees” on a couple of holes. You know the type, right?

It is easy for us to find an excuse to be dissatisfied with anything that we are offered. The food at the restaurant was too bland, the movie theater was too cold, the salary for our job is too low, or that church just has too many hypocrites. Don’t get me wrong, there are instances for which dissatisfaction is justified. However, distaste can be habit forming and contagious. Even though the food is bland, our body still gets the nourishment from the food that was prepared. Even if the theater is a little cool, we still paid for the movie and we still get to watch it. Despite bad greens and sparse fairways, we still were able to get outside and play a round of golf. Our salary may be less than the guy next door, but somehow we haven’t gone hungry and the bank hasn’t took possession of our house. The same is true with the church. Despite all the faults of her members, if we come to the table we will get fed.

The widow Ruth was invited by Boaz to eat at the table after a full day of harvest in the fields. She did not feel totally worthy to sit there but Boaz urged her and she obliged. While at the table, she partook of the bread and dipped it into the vinegar which was the custom of the time for refreshment and cooling after a long hot summer’s day. Boaz knew of Ruth’s situation and welcomed her with open arms.

Whenever we sit at the Lord’s table whether it be in a church service, in your study with your Bible, or on your phone reading a devotion, you will be spiritually fed if you earnestly desire His touch. Many times we may feel unworthy or undeserved when we approach him. In these times, we only have to plead the blood and humbly approach his throne of grace. We will bread be provided for strength and also the vinegar for comfort and refreshment. Whenever we are diligent with our study and worship, we will be richly rewarded. Not only was Ruth fed at the table, we read in verse 18 that she had enough for left overs to take home to her mother-in-law. God will nourish us with his spirit and wisdom to such a degree that we will have enough to pass along to friends, coworkers or relatives who missed out. Always bring a box when you sup with our Lord! The key for growth and true worship is the attitude with which we approach God. If we go seeking His face, we will be blessed. If we visit the church looking for a problem, we won’t be disappointed there either as we will be sure to find one. Choose to be blessed today!