When I was in college, we had a friend in our group who was an assistant manager at Chicken Express in Nacogdoches. I have no idea what type of organization lets an 18-year-old be that responsible for an entire restaurant, but they did, and he did a good job at it.
What I loved from it, however, was that almost every night, he would bring the leftovers to whatever house we were all hanging out at. Imagine ten or more college kids sitting around, eating fried chicken until the early hours of the morning, and you’ll get a sense of what my college hours were like.
It was awesome—and if I’m being frank, it most likely kept some of us alive. We were all poor; that chicken provided a near-daily calorie boost for all of us.
I will forever be thankful for it, just as I imagine the people in ancient Israel were thankful for the provisions in Deuteronomy 24:19-22 about the remnants left in the field after harvest. Whether it’s wheat, olives, grapes, or something similar, if you forget to harvest it, those bits now belong to the poor.
The most famous example of someone taking advantage of this opportunity is Ruth, who gleaned the edges of Boaz’s field, and then ended up marrying him. If not for their nuptials, however, it’s most likely that Ruth and her mother-in-law would have eaten these scraps for the rest of their lives.
And there’s not a thing in the world wrong with that. This passage says as much about the attitude of the people towards the poor as it does the poor themselves. Twice in this section (Deuteronomy 24:18, 22), God reminds the people that they used to be slaves in Egypt. As such, they know what poverty feels like.
Based on that understanding, will they treat the poor of their own society better or worse than they were treated? Will they malign the poor or give them a place of honor and respect?
That attitude will be borne out in their actions. According to these verses, a person who goes back through their field to pick up the scraps is essentially stealing from the ones who actually need it. Goods that are simply adding to one person’s wealth are necessary for another’s survival.
How does this apply in our lives, then? I’m not a farmer, and I don’t live near any fields, so applying this in 2026 is difficult.
The principle isn’t, though, is it? If we look at our own lives, many of us are blessed with more than we’ll ever be able to use. We have more time, money, and love than most generations have ever had before.
Who in your circle could benefit from your excess? Who do you know desperately needs the resources you have a surplus of?
Identify that, and we can start letting others glean from our field.