It’s Not the Right Time…

For thousands of years, farmers sowed their seed by hand, scattering it ‘broadcast’. This explains why, in the parable of the sower, some seed fell where it should not have fallen! Therefore the ideal day for sowing seed was a day with no wind, but that doesn’t often happen. And when harvest time comes, the crop needs to be dry. If it rains, the crop will spoil.

Putting these and other factors together, means that farmers were (and still are) at the mercy of the weather! But if they wait for the wind to drop for sowing, or for a day that doesn’t threaten rain for reaping, says the ‘Teacher’, they will never get round either to sowing or to reaping.

Of course, this is a parable for our life. If we wait for everything to be perfect, we will never get anything done. Our flesh says: “Things aren’t right yet! I need more faith! I need more teaching! I need more experience! I need more support! Only then can I follow God’s call…”

Now look at verse 6: ‘Sow your seed in the morning, and don’t hold back your hand in the evening, since you don’t know which is going to succeed, the one or the other, or if both are equally good’. In other words, if you know you’ve got to do it, then just get on with it! Don’t make ‘more prayer’ or ‘more preparation’ an excuse any longer. God is in charge of the sowing and of the reaping. Your responsibility is simply to obey. Take that first step!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please teach me to hear and then to obey your voice. I don’t want to miss the best things because I thought I wasn’t ready. Help me to take that first step. Amen.