It Takes Hard Work!

Scripture:

Prov. 20:4     The lazy person does not plow in season;
        harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found.

Observation:

To be a farmer one must work hard.  A farmer friend of mine, Ken Morehead posted this on his Facebook this week:  “Finished planting today. If I had planted a straight line from here, never turning around, I would have ended up 550 miles away. That's roughly the distance from here to Kansas City or Billings MT. At 5.5 mph.” (May 20, 2014) -- He lives in North Dakota!

Ken spent the time needed to plow and plant in season.  Come harvest he will have to drive those 550 miles all over again and the fruit of his labor will be that much will be found. 

Sadly, if lazy person does get around to plowing or planting it probably won't be at the right time.  I’m afraid that they probably complain and blame their lack of harvest on other details — such as the weather, or others interfering with their lives.  However, when it is harvest season, they will find nothing.

Application:

This proverb certainly has a practical application for my farmer friend, but I think it goes beyond the farmer.  For all of us there are times and seasons when we are to be busy doing what we should be doing.  There are times when we are to be working hard and putting in long hours.  We are not entitled to receive things when we haven’t put in the effort.  The farmer cannot harvest what he/she has not planted!  It doesn’t just happen because they wish it to happen — it only happens because they are willing to work hard. 

We cannot expect to get things out of life if we don’t take the time and effort to work hard.

But what about our spiritual lives?  Are we expecting some kind of a spiritual harvest when we have never spent a season in planting?  Then I’m afraid that we would be found in the lazy category.  Or, do we somehow come before God feeling entitled to some kind of spiritual outpouring when we have never invested in our relationship with him? 

Then there are those who are pastors and shepherds who are wondering why they are not seeing much of a harvest.  Could it be that we have become lazy and have not put forth the effort to plow in season?  You see, it takes effort for there to be a harvest.  Sadly, there may be nothing to be found.

May God help us to follow the example of my friend, Ken, who is willing to put in hours and hours of work to plow and plant in season.  We reap the benefit of his harvest as he helps to feed many.  May we put in the hard work that is necessary for us to be faithful servants of the Lord and reap the spiritual harvest that is possible when we plow in season.

Prayer:

Lord, may I will be willing to serve you in faithfulness today.  Amen.