Posted in Sowing Seeds
|
Source: MessiahNet.com
He Who Sleeps
“He who gathers in summer is a wise son, [but] he who sleeps in harvest [time] is a son [who] causes shame.” Mish’lei (Proverbs) 10:5)
In a time long forgotten, the people of Yis’rael had to be very aware of the Lord’s seasons and appointed times in their lives. It was crucial to watch the sun and the moon and remain fixed on the heavens—to be certain to know when to plant, when to wait, when to harvest, and when to let the land lie fallow. The anticipation between events was as important as the designated times themselves, so they submitted to the natural tempo of the heavenlies to meet God when He said it was time.
We can learn a valuable lesson from this simple cycle of life. We watch and wait for the harvest to be declared ripe, then set out to gather the crops. The “wise son” is not wise because he stops to ponder if the correct time for harvesting has arrived—he is wise because he “gathers in summer.” The season has arrived, regardless of his understanding or comprehension, so the wise response is to gather.
On the other hand, “he who sleeps in harvest [time] is a son [who] causes shame.” We may sleep during harvest for any number of reasons—we might be lazy, we might be sick, perhaps we just think we know better and have decided that what God is telling us is just not good enough. But the main reason we miss harvest is because we aren’t vigilant in watching the clock. This is exactly why Yis’rael was commanded to count from the omer—they needed to know where they were on God’s schedule, so that they would be ready to reap when it was time. Adonai has one clock, one schedule, and He changes it for no one. We may arrive early or late for the appointment, but that does not alter God’s timetable. We are not condemned for missing or misjudging God’s schedule, but we do miss out—we cannot receive the maturing benefit without submitting to His un-earthly ways. He is calling us to be wise—to know it is day when there is light and evening when it is dark, winter when it is cold and summer when it is hot—to be wise because only God’s calendar makes sense….
P R A Y E R
Abba, Father, wake me in time for the harvest—do not let my eyes get heavy when You are telling me to be awake. Teach me to stay in tempo with the rhythms You have ordained, and to love Your ways above all others. I do not want to cause shame, O God, but to gather as soon as the crops are ripe. I praise You, Father, for by Your hand, You have set all things in motion—especially seedtime and harvest…. © 1997-2006 Perfect Word Ministries |
Posted in Sowing Seeds
|
Isaiah 61:3, "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified ." I look up from reading the Word of God in my morning Quiet Time. Oh what a glorious sight meets my eyes. A beautiful sunrise of brilliant salmon pink glows through the bare leafless branches of the winter trees. It is glorious. I am awe-inspired. Why haven't I seen these beautiful skies before? I realize that I hadn't noticed them before because they were hidden from my view by the thick foliage of the tall trees that surround us here in the Tennessee woods. Wintertime is stark and barren, but it is in these bare times that we see beauty that we don't normally see. As I drive the country roads in the winter, I often exclaim, "Oh, I haven't noticed that home before." Or, "I've never seen that barn." The lovely leafy laden trees had blocked them from view. Perhaps you are going through a winter season in your life. Your heart is cold. The outlook seems ugly. You feel stripped of all that you hold dear. Can I remind you to lift up your head? Look up. As you do, you will see things in a new light. You will see God in a new way. You will see different facets of His beauty that you hadn't noticed before. You will see things that God has been waiting to show you that He couldn't reveal to you with all the foliage around your life. Often God has to strip us of all our trappings and the things we daily rely upon, so He can reveal Himself to us. We don't need Him when we have everything else around us to rely on. We don't see Him clearly when our sights and senses are filled with other things. I used to think the bare trees of winter were rather ugly, but I have now come to appreciate their own uniqueness. I love their intriguing beauty as they silhouette against the differing moods of the sky. I delight to see the tiny thin branches of the trees, which show up like lace in the sun-setting sky. There is nothing more striking than the moon shining down through the bare trees. What could bring more pleasure to the eyes than seeing the hoar frost or a fresh snowfall balancing on their bare outstretched limbs? And of course I now see the sunrises that I don't see in the other seasons. There was also a time in my life when I didn't like going through hard times. I'd rather not have to face them at all. But I have learned to find beauty in these times too. This is when God does His deepest work in our hearts. This is when we really grow. This is when God is able to conform us to the image of His Son. Don't despise these winter seasons. Don't let your heart get bitter. Fling off that self-pity. Don't cower in the dungeon of despair. Open your spiritual eyes. Look up. Unless I had looked up from my reading to see the sunrise, I would have missed it. You won't see unless you look up. There are beautiful things to behold that you haven't seen before, which you cannot see in any other season. God will reveal Himself to you in a deeper way. And you will see a new sunrise in your life. Love from NANCY CAMPBELL PRAYER: "Father, I have been shivering in this winter experience. I feel bare and stripped of everything. Lord, I am sorry, that I have been looking at the ugliness of it all. I have been consumed with self-pity. I confess this to you. Lord, I look up to you. I want to behold your beauty. I look to see your goodness in the land of the living. Show me glimpses of the precious work you are doing in me in this winter season. I thank you for the good work you are doing in me." AFFIRMATION: I will look for God's beauty even in the barren times. |