Why is the Lord concerned with the “little things.” Well, if He, the Creator of the heavens and earth is concerned with them, they are certainly not little things. In the Torah portion called אֱמֹר/say, the Lord commands the children of Israel concerning first-fruits, “When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted” (Lev. 23:10-11).

When you enter the Promised Land that “I give you” (Lev. 23:10) and you become busy with life, sowing, tending and reaping, do not forget about Me, your covenant Lord, because when you do, you will find yourself enslaved once again.

Yet, by bringing the sheaf or omer of first-fruits of the harvest, as the Lord says: לִרְצֹנְכֶם, “that you may be accepted.” In this acceptance there is a favor, a joyful acceptance for fulfilling the will of the Lord concerning this “little thing.” We find this in the root of the phrase translated “that you may be accepted”: רָצוֹן/ratzon, will, acceptance, delight, pleasure.

Does bringing an sheaf/omer before the Lord really cause Him to accept us? Is there a delight from this small act of obedience? Imagine the tribes of Israel as they settled the Promised Land. In the busyness of life, the tasks of settling and building become numerous. Yet, the promise of God grows, out there in the field. The harvest is approaching. Preparations for harvest begin, laborers are arranged and they stand ready. First, however, a sheaf must be cut and taken before the Lord. Presented as a wave offering, lifted up before Him, the act itself is celebratory, even victorious: “Here is the fruit of Your promise O Lord!”

Now, there is liberty to harvest in earnest. But wait, we must still be careful, faithful, and attentive to “the little things.”

In Leviticus 23:22 we read, “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

What? Is this field not ours to fully harvest? No. The land belongs to the Lord, therefore the Lord’s portion, beyond the sheaf, shall be honored. Who receives of edges and the gleanings? The poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger dwelling in the Promised Land as well. The Lord’s portion provides the means for the dignity of the disadvantaged to be preserved. They can take of the Lord’s portion, and continue to live in the covenant community of the Lord.

But do the “little things” really matter?

In the fullness of time, a widow returned to the Promised Land poor and responsible for her widowed daughter in law. Of course, this is the story of Ruth. Naomi directs Ruth to the field of a relative. Boaz was a prominent man, a leader in Bethlehem. Boaz, honoring the very words we are considering, directs his laborers to not reproach her, but rather allow her to glean the field, and help her do so by leaving bundles for her to find (Ruth 2:15-16). What was the result of the faithfulness of Boaz? He redeemed Naomi and marries Ruth. From this union came Jesse, and then David.

The faithfulness of Boaz regarding the “little things” changed two widows lives, and ultimately the lives of untold myriad’s who will be caught up in a later harvest. From Boaz, Jesse, and David would come the most important first-fruit: Messiah Yeshua/Jesus.

The apostle Paul writes, “But in fact Messiah has been raised form the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep … For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Messiah the first fruits, then at His coming those who belong to Messiah” (1 Cor. 15:20, 22-23).

In John 20:17, Messiah said to Mary Magdalene, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” The first-fruit from the grave, Messiah, had not yet been presented before the Father, as the fulfillment of what was happening in Jerusalem with the sheaf in the Temple. More on this in a later devotional.

When the Lord commands us to be mindful of those “little things” that seem to be insignificant, they can have immediate life impact on the “least of these my brethren” and ultimately the Lord’s plan of salvation. A stretch? No, Boaz obeyed, he showed kindness to those at his mercy. Did the Lord bless his obedience? Yes, he was included in the Davidic line that brought forth the Messiah Who will command the harvest of the redeemed at the end of the age.

Can we Him praise for the big and little things? It is all part of His plan. How might faithfulness to the “little things” in God’s promise change your family, friends, church, workplace and community? Let us pray with our hands and feet, and see the answer in lives changed.

Maranatha. Shalom.