Prov. 12:11 ¶ He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding
My neighbor who lives below me is one of the hardest working men I’ve ever met.
About a year ago he was between jobs and in need of money. So he proceeded to clear an area beside the house, which at the time was filled with brush, and trees like you see in the corner.
For months he worked in that plot of land:
- clearing out the brush and trees
- Digging up roots
- Planting crops
- And building a fence around the area
I’m sure during those days of difficult work he wondered if it was all worthwhile, but when harvest time came, he reaped a great reward.
That field beside my house is a constant reminder that the “tilling and planting” stage of ministry will bring benefits.
- Days spent handing out tracts or knocking on doors
- reading Scripture with shut-ins
- Developing relationships
- Telling Bible-Stories
- or volunteering in the community
The interesting thing is you don’t see much fruit in that stage. And Satan loves to tell us that our work is wasted. But God’s Word promises those who are faithful in tilling and planting will have a harvest.
The opposite of that is expecting crops when you haven’t done the work.
I saw individuals who did nothing to help my neighbor come by and ask for some food, he often gave them because there was a need, but it wasn’t something they had earned.
Just the same a Christian who doesn’t do the hard work of working the spiritual mission field has no right to expect God to bring a harvest.
So you go into the field again and do the hard work…
knowing God will give an eternal reward.
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