Farming

When I was growing up, we had a garden plot across the road from our house. It was one of the perks that came with my Daddy's job. Every day, there was work to be done in the garden. If it wasn't tilling, it was planting. If it wasn't watering, it was harvesting. Maintaining a garden is a daily operation. The key to the success of our garden was to do everything in its time. You had to allow the soil and the seeds to dictate the schedule.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1:3

Many scholars count the first Psalm as one of nearly fifty that remain anonymous. While we may not know the name of the author of this Psalm, we can infer that he is familiar with the cycles of nature. In that time, most all households at least maintained a garden and much of the work in that garden was done by the children as they were growing up. Parents used this time to teach their sons and daughters the secrets of nature and the joy of planting and harvesting.


The psalmist in this verse begins by acknowledging that the orchard needs to be planted near a continuous source of water. Otherwise, the crops would wither on the tree and all the preparatory work would have been in vain. If the tree or other crop has adequate water and farmer understands when to plant and when to harvest they could be assured of an adequate crop. The Psalm says, "Whatever he does will prosper."


If we look at this passage, we see one of the causes of "crop failure." The psalmist says the key is that the fruit of the farmer's labor will come "in season." If the farmer harvests the crop too early, it will usually produce less than it could and will have less nutritional value and taste than it should. If one waits too late, he will find rotted fruit that is good to no one. This time period is not set by the farmer, it is a cycle of nature that God has ordained – and each crop has a different season.


The Christian life is much like the tree that the psalmist references here. We will go through seasons in our lives – seasons that produce different fruit. If we try to do things according to our own convenience or because we think we know the best way to produce fruit, we will find ourselves with little to show for our labors. Our "Farmer's Almanac" is the Scripture and the Holy Spirit is our expert in the field. If we follow their lead, "whatever we do will prosper."


God has a field for every Christ-follower to manage and in due time He will show it to us. If we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our ministries, we can be assured that His harvest will prosper. The problem with most of us is that we don't listen to what God is saying or we just know that we have a better way. The end of the season of the harvest is rapidly approaching. Have you been a good steward with what God has put in your path? As long as Christ tarries, there is time to work the field that God has given you.


We serve an awesome God!!!!!

A man's pride brings him low,
but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
Proverbs 29:23