As my excitement built, I couldn't help but think about how throughout the Bible, the image of workers and the harvest are often displayed in the text.
Now, I am just a wanna-be gardener. I've had no other major experience with gardening aside from my current feeble attempt. However, there are a few things that are necessary when gardening.
- Soil preparation - absolutely necessary in order to allow for the seeds or plant to root. Without proper preparation, there's no hope for the poor plant.
- Planting - Sowing the seed or setting out the plant (Both of which I experienced this year!) at just the right time.
- Fertilization - helping the plant to gain the nutrients necessary for continued growth.
- Maintaining - weeding, watering, spraying, inspecting, and then doing it all over again
- Harvesting - bringing in the fruit (or veggies & fruit, in our case) of your labor
Like I said before, I am just a wanna-be gardener. So, correct me if I'm wrong. But one thing I do know about is faithfulness. What in the world do gardening and faithfulness have in common? There is an element of trust that moves to action in both. A gardener could plant a crop and just leave it, not expecting anything to come of it. Not believing that his work would be of any benefit. However, gardeners tirelessly work the ground and tend to the plants they desire to see results from. Faithfulness (in my opinion) is trusting not in my ability to be faithful but in Jesus Christ's faithful obedience to the will of His Father. His faithfulness to me moves me to action. Moves me to join with Him in working His fields. Not for an outcome that I expect, but for an outcome that will bring glory and honor to Him.
I am terrible at saying such things as "Why do You want me to do that?" or "You know I'm not good at that." So this morning, as I was reading in the minor prophets, I came across this verse that just struck a nerve.
I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you. - Haggai 2:19
To know that your harvest would be blessed before your seed even planted, incredible. There would be no room for worry, discouragement or laziness. Doesn't mean they wouldn't rear their ugly heads. Just means that with faithfulness we need perseverance. As also with gardening. The evening after we planted our garden my sweet 4 year old plopped down at the dinner table and tiredly announced he would sure like to eat some of those watermelon from our garden. I explained that we had just planted the seed and it would be weeks before we had watermelon that were ready to eat. They had to grow and they hadn't had time to get that big. Instant gratification. That's what our society tells us we need. Immediate results. We've lost patience. Somehow we've lost our bag of "patient" seeds. We need to be reminded,
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
- Galatians 6:9
At just the right time! Not too soon, not too late. Not when we want or when we expect. Perseverance. The waiting and maintaining when the outcome is unsure and unseen. As a wanna-be gardener, I'm excited about the possibility of seeing the fruit of my labor. As a believer, I will persevere. Not seeing but always believing that at just the right time there will be a harvest. Not because of anything I've done; only because of what He's done.
My lesson...faithful perseverance. In all that I say and do, bring glory and honor to Christ.
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