Learn from the Farmer

Good morning.

In this instant society we often want to make things happen quicker. If the Lord does not make the church grow quickly enough to our liking, we step in and do things our way – like game nights, church fetes and often compromise on the standards of the Word of God.

However, we read in James 5:7-11: “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

We also hear Paul saying in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 when the church started to exalt men and ‘worshipped’ them. “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

The moment we become impatient and want to do the Holy Spirit’s work, we are exalting ourselves or other people and follow our or another person’s agenda. The way a church or any Christian organisation or project grows and succeeds happens through either or all of three Biblical principles.

1.   “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself,” (John 12:32). When we lift Jesus and the price He had paid for our sins up so people could see Him and what He had done and wants to do for them, then their need for salvation will be revealed to them and they would call on Him.

2.   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” (John 13:34-35). Love is an action. We do not need to feel love to be love. If in spite of ourselves or what people do to us we show love in action, both as an organism and as individuals, people of the world, who do not usually see too much love in action, will start wondering why these people are like this and will desire to have the same.

3.   “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). In 1 John 5:13-15 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20john%205:13-15&version=NIV1984 the Lord promises that He will answer prayers prayed according to His will. If His will is for souls to be saved we can take comfort in the fact that these prayers will be answered.

So instead of doing all kinds of worldly entertainment and compromise to try and draw the world to the church, we simply need to lift Jesus up through worship, testimony and evangelism, love one another through deed and action and pray intensely for souls, since “the earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working],” (James 5:16b, Amplified Bible).

Once we have sown these seeds, we simply wait for the Lord to make it grow whilst we continue sowing more seeds and worship Him.

Thank you, Lord of the harvest for sending me as a sower, a water sprinkler and a harvester into the harvest field (Luke 10:2) until your second coming.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.