When tidying up the garden from the winter decay, moving leaves and dead shrubs, a robin was always present with me. He is a faithful friend, and winter does not drive him from our shores. The robin is very friendly, and follows me from about a metre away where I have disturbed and uncovered the earth. He picks up the worms and grubs that have found shelter underneath the decay. He profits from the gleanings. 

That reminds one of Ruth, following the young men who harvested the fields, and she gathered the leftovers. These gleanings sustained her and her mother-in-law. Then there is the Syrophenician woman, who was content if she could only have the crumbs that fell from the table. 

Goldsmiths working at their trade are careful to collect the filings, because they are still precious and can be used for profit. Likewise, believers can always find crumbs, filings or gleanings from the poorest sermon, enough to sustain them even in a lean season. Faith must search and be gratified for what it finds.