«The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops» (2 Timothy 2:6).
FARMERS ARE THOSE who walk on the earth with their eyes set on heaven. They do the most and the best, know the seasons, fence their fields, pull out weeds, plow the land, sow the seeds, cultivate, water, prune, and fight pests. Even so, they expect the best from the Lord: rain at the right time and germination of the seeds. Fully trusting in God and partnering with Him, they harvest. The same thing happens with discipleship. It is a true adventure of faith and trust in the One who does not look at us as we are but as we will be when we are transformed by His grace.
God does not perform miracles where He has established resources to do His work. He cooperates with us when we use the talents and time He has given us to serve His cause.
If the farmer fails to plow and sow, God does not work a miracle to undo the results of his neglect. Harvest time finds his fields barren—there are no sheaves to be reaped, no grain to be garnered. God provided the seed and the soil, the sun and the rain; and if the agriculturist had employed the means that were at his hand, he would have received according to his sowing and his labor (Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 123).
The verb «work’ in its original means «working to exhaustion.» In ancient times, farmers worked hard, spent many hours a day working in all sorts of weather conditions, enduring cold, heat, winds, and storms. And they did everything thinking that their effort would be rewarded in the harvest. What renewed their energy and relieved their fatigue was the hope of a harvest.
A group of Pathfinders in a camporee asked a pastor the following question: «If you were God, would you do anything differently?» The pastor thought the question came with hidden intentions and took his time before answering. Finally, he said he would. Then the young people argued, «Do you mean that you would do things better than God?»
We cannot improve what God has done. He used everything to save us, but He needs farmers to take the seed, sow it, and gather the harvest.
«Have you so deep an appreciation of the sacrifice made on Calvary that you are willing to make every other interest subordinate to the work of saving souls? The same intensity of desire to save sinners that marked the life of the Saviour marks the life of His true follower»
(Maranatha, p. 100).
