Talk about ‘gleaning’ and I immediately think of the Bible. And as is so often the case it would seem that we are continuing to discover that the ‘Good Book’ has some pretty good advice when it comes to living the good life. I realised this again the other morning when I woke up to hear BBC Farming Today reporter Cas Graham examining the practice of ‘gleaning.’

‘Gleaning’ (collecting crops that have been left behind after the harvest so they’re not wasted) is making a comeback it seems. Gleaning Networks being formed have been established in the USA, Canada and across Europe to reduce food waste and provide fresh vegetables for people who might not otherwise be able to afford them.

But as I listened to Graham’s visit to the North West Gleaning Network, I found myself thinking about something that took place on a Judean farm more than 3,000 years ago. You can read all about it in the Book of Ruth.

Ruth was a desperately poor widow, but like others in her day she was allowed to ‘glean’ the fields following the main harvest. And as she did we are told ‘it just so happened’ that the owner walked in and ‘fell head over heels’ in love with her.

‘It just so happened’ is a fantastic phrase. It reminds us that God is the ‘Cosmic Fixer.’ He is in the business or arranging things. It’s why I prefer to talk of ‘God- incidences’ rather than coincidences.

And I have witnessed so many of these over the years, not least when I was involved in taking aid to war-torn Croatia in the mid-1990s.

In fact, we experienced so many that I was persuaded to write a book about our adventures and I gave it that precise title! It seemed to sum up what happened when we went on mission with God.

I’ve been asked to write an update (the first sold out). And I’ve agreed to do it because it will become a resource for a new initiative that a friend of mine is launching to be known as ‘Generous Heart.’ Philip is a very experienced and skilled business manager but he is convinced (as I am) that if we want to be truly blessed in this life we must learn to be generous. God loves cheerful givers. In fact God constantly empowers cheerful givers by increasing their ability to give.

Sadly, we are all tempted to believe that the more we have the happier we will be. Christian author Susan Vogt has discovered the opposite. In a book intriguingly entitled ‘Blessed by Less,’ she writes that she decided to give away something every day during Lent. And it made her feel so good that she decided to keep it up for a whole year.

“I became addicted to identifying things I no longer needed”- but which others did, she writes. Vogt now thinks twice about what she really needs to buy. “Living lightly,” she adds, “reminds me that my existence is about more than accumulating possessions and status … Letting go of stuff also changed my attitude toward my possessions and helped me clarify my true priorities.”

As the Good Book says: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Rob James is a Baptist Pastor broadcaster and writer who currently operates as a church and media consultant for the Evangelical Alliance Wales. He is available for preaching and teaching throughout Wales and can be contacted at [email protected]