Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I grew up in New Jersey, and if I could summarize my upbringing and my experience with nature, I would say that the experience was minimal.
I grew up in more of an urban environment, so I didn't really spend a lot of time around open fields, especially farmland. Now, surprisingly enough, New Jersey is the Garden State, even though that wasn't much of my experience as a kid. If you drive through parts of the state, you will see these areas where big fields of corn have been planted, and the optics of this corn go on and on for as far as the eye can see.
What It Takes to Bring a Harvest
When I look at that as somebody who doesn't have a background in growing up around farming, I look at this field and I'm thinking, man, what did it take to plant all those seeds so that this crop would one day take root, begin to grow, and then lead to a harvest? It had to be a lot of work.
As you're doing this work of sowing the seed in the field, it might be hot, it might be laborious. Even as you're doing the work, the only hopeful outcome that continues to stir you on is that at some point, these seeds are going to grow into something beautiful. What that can do is stir up in you enough confidence and encouragement to keep going, even when it feels like it's hard.
Tempted to Grow Weary
I love that imagery when it comes to the way of faith in Jesus. One of the things that we're gathering here from the teaching of Paul in this verse is that there are times where we can be tempted to become weary in doing good.
The reason I give you that imagery about farming is he talks about this good work that we're doing leading to an outcome, a harvest, that there would be fruit that comes from the planting.
When Doing Good Feels Uncomfortable
What I can see in my own life is that there are times where I make decisions and I go in certain directions that are obedient to the things that I see in the Scriptures, that are focused on serving other people, that might lead to generosity with my finances, that, quite frankly, are a little uncomfortable to my human sensibilities.
Maybe when I feel like the Lord is leading me to help someone out who's in a bind, when I feel like finances are kind of tight for me right now, I might grow weary in doing that good thing. When I go to volunteer at that event, only to realize that it seems like people just aren't coming, and I start even asking myself, what am I doing here? I might be tempted to grow weary in doing good.
A Work Happening Under the Soil
What I love is, if you see this whole section of Scripture here, you're seeing that there's an encouragement to not just pay attention to what you see with your eyes and what is visible right in front of you, but to know that there is a work happening under the soil in supernatural ways that will lead to growth.
Your investment isn't really based upon what you can see as the product of what you're doing. It's really so that God would have the opportunity to bring the flourishing that would come from what you are doing for His glory alone.
The Lord of the Harvest Sees You
I don't know where you are on your journey today. Maybe it feels like the way you've been showing up for people isn't being reciprocated. Maybe you're trying the best that you can to be present in the places that feel difficult. Maybe it feels like you've been praying or studying the Bible, and you're not experiencing the breakthrough that you're looking for.
Don't grow weary in doing good. Trust that the Lord of the harvest is aware of your investment. He sees you planting, and He's the One who will bring the fruit.
