**Please place this Word before the LORD. Test the spirits, and by His guidance, let the Holy Spirit lead you into all truth. And read the related scriptures found in this post. May GOD be glorified and exalted. 

I believe the LORD wants us to know something, and it has to do with the barley harvest, which is found in the book of Ruth I was reading a while ago. So please read these scriptures as well. 

Now, barley grain is found in the book Ruth. Ruth, the Moabite, was in Boaz’s field, gathering leftover barley grain when Boaz noticed her and was eventually blessed with food to bring home to Naomi, her mother-in-law. In this story, we also find that Boaz is a kinsman redeemer, or a guardian-redeemer.

Remember, just like Boaz, Jesus Christ is also our Kinsman Redeemer. 

Now there are different ways to know if barley is ready for harvest, or mature. This is accompanied by using your thumbnail, to bend the seed. Here are the three ways:

1. If the seed completely bends, it is immature. 
2. If the seed slightly bends, then it is almost mature. 
3. If the seed does not bend/tough, it is mature and ready to be harvested/cut. 

When you think about this concept, it seems, I believe, that the LORD is looking for a mature church that is not bent or easily bent but holds strong faith. I also believe that these grains are the three types of people that are in the church: those easily bent, meaning that they doubt and are not firm in their faith. The slightly bent is the one that stands but not firmly. And the last one is the one that is like the house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27). 

“I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8 (NIV) (bold emphasized). 

• The grain can also be seen from this perspective: The first barley grains that are easily bent, are easily letting any kind of teachings in their life. That is why their foundation of the gospel is not strong. 

• The second one, they also allow certain teachings in their life, though there is still faith in the LORD. But they are still slightly bent. 

• The last barley grain does not bend, because its foundation is on the WORD and the grain does not waiver because its faith is strong. 

In the New Testament, the apostles tell us many times to watch out for false teachers and prophets and all these people.May we all pray for their salvation, GOD’s mercy on them, interceding for our brothers and sisters that may have got caught up in the teachings for them to be awakened, that we test the spirits, and know them by their fruit. 

Also, I was reading Matthew 8, believing that the LORD wants to expand our faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please GOD. When the disciples and Jesus Christ were in the storm, Jesus slept while the disciples were afraid in the storm. Eventually, Jesus was awakened by the disciples and asked this very important question, which we all should ask ourselves: “Why are ye fearful, O ye little faith?”

Do you have faith in Jesus so much that even when there is a storm brewing, would you trust the LORD? Or would you panic? Looking at the situation rather than looking to the LORD? You cannot allow the things you see to diminish your faith in GOD.

Regarding this, I thought to myself, if I was in that boat, I would have been like the disciples or I would maybe sleep and hold Jesus’ leg, kind of like in the story of Ruth.

Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, with such faith, endured the things that were thrown at Him, but He was not shaken.And that is what I believe that He desires us to be: Never shaken, because He never lets the righteous be shaken! (Psalm 55:22)