Time to Plant

I am not a farmer, but even with my limited knowledge of farming, there are a few things I know. One of them is this – if you don’t put anything in the ground, you cannot expect a harvest. It is a basic principle. When you plant seeds, those seeds produce plants. That is why it is called “planting.” And if no seeds are planted and the ground is barren, nothing will grow.

So why am I talking about this? Because this concept that is true in the physical realm is just as real in the spiritual realm. In fact, the picture of sowing and reaping is used many times throughout the Bible. It is a basic principle of the Christian life, but if you are like me, sometimes I miss even the most basic things. While I don’t walk into my backyard hoping that a garden appeared overnight, sometimes in my spiritual walk, I keep hoping things will appear that I have never planted or prepared for.

Listen to what Solomon, the wisest man of his day, observed, “He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NASB) I cannot predict the future, but one thing I know for certain, you will never go anywhere by simply staring at the clouds. And you will never make an impact by observation alone.

Think about the picture that Solomon is painting. What if a farmer spent all of his time trying to predict the weather? What if he was so consumed by knowing what was next, that he never planted anything at all? It wouldn’t matter how much that farmer tried, he would never be able to accurately predict what the weather would do. Even now, centuries later, the professional meteorologist cannot give you a guarantee on what the weather will be tomorrow, much less next month or next year.

Life is a lot like that, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you will never be able to predict the future. You can spend your time thinking, observing, hoping, worrying – but no matter how much time you focus on the future you will never be able to accurately predict what is coming tomorrow, much less next month or next year.

Solomon continues his thought, “just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5) The reality is this – there are some things that we will never know, some things that are beyond our comprehension, and some questions we will never be able to answer.

Too many days, I have been paralyzed, feeling like I could not move forward until I had all the answers. By wanting to know all the details of my future, I missed out on the present and I didn’t prepare for what was next. By doing nothing, I received nothing in return.

Looking to 2019 I believe it is time for us to be bold. To be okay with the unknown. To stop hiding and start trying. To take steps without knowing all the answers. To walk by faith and not by sight.

So let’s learn our lesson from the farmer. Instead of focusing on what we cannot control or trying to figure out what we will never understand, let’s focus on what we can do. Let’s sow good things into our lives. Let’s plant seeds of kindness and love. Let’s take steps toward the life God has called us to.