Sow, and Keep on Sowing

"Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother's womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.

Sow your seed in the morning,
And at evening let your hands not be idle,
For you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well."

Ecclesiastes 11:4-6

I learned something from this passage today that I really needed to get into my spirit. At the Uni study group we discussed the idea that a farmer who is always concerned about the wind or weather may not plant or harvest at all, but those who diligently sow seed have a much greater chance of harvest. In the end, the outcome of their work is in the hands of God, because though they may plant the seed, He is the one who causes it to grow.

I was thinking that it is the same when we serve God. God has given us gifts, talents and ministries (the seed). We should diligently keep on serving Him as He leads and guides us. It also means that we should take courage and serve, not holding back because of fear of failure (ie. not looking at the clouds or the wind). Sometimes the outcome will be good; other times we may feel as though we have failed, or are still waiting for the results, even though we have tried our best.

But as long as we are diligently serving God, doing what He has asked us to do, listening for His instructions, we can be satisfied, because the outcome rests with Him. Fruit will come; and when it does, all of the honour and glory goes to Him alone, because it is not by our hard work that the fruit comes (although our service is an important ingredient); but He alone brings the harvest.

So keep on sowing!

Silence in the City

During our study of the book of Ecclesiastes, the group I'm part of at the Uni reflected on the idea that many words can end up being just meaningless. I began thinking that I would like to be able to speak less, but in doing so, say a whole lot more. Besides, if my mouth speaks evil, I am better off not speaking at all.

I spent last weekend in Melbourne, and amidst the hustle-and-bustle of city life, I took pictures of things that don't make noise. I also enjoyed a soothing time of silence in a busy shopping center, just watching the people go by.

To me, these pictures are testaments to the fact that even in immense noise, one can find silence if they take the time to seek it... They are also a reminder that you don't have to make a lot of noise to be important in someone else's day.

Contempt for God and His Ministry?

"Eli's sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD... This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD's sight, for they were treating the LORD's offering with contempt."

1 Samuel 2:12, 17 (TNIV)

Here were two young men whose calling was to serve God as priests, and yet they had it all wrong. God ended up finishing them off, because they had taken their eyes off the Lord, and had become corrupt, to the extent of using their ministry to meet their own needs, treading God's people underfoot as they went.

Could it be that if we are not careful, we could also treat our ministry, or our gift from God, with contempt? This happens when our heart's desire is no longer the Lord and his glory, but our own needs and wants begin to take precedence. No longer are we passionate about partnering with God in fulfilling His mission on Earth, but we are focused on ourselves... promoting ourselves, securing our position, gaining the approval of people.

To those who use ministry for their own agenda, instead of God's agenda, learn a lesson from Eli's sons. No one is indispensable; just as God has given you your ministry and your position, he can take it away again. He desires leaders who are people after His own heart.

Never let it happen to me, Lord. If my focus has strayed, I repent and fix my eyes upon you and what you are doing here. Help me to be a leader after your own heart.

Adjust

I have become aware of a few health issues for myself that I need to take care of in order to better look after my body and to improve my overall well-being. First of all, I have decided to give up caffeine (all of my friends who are reading this will fall off their chairs in shock, but it is true); I feel I am too dependent on it, and it is annoying to be falling asleep all the time when I can't get access to a cuppa. So it's herbal teas for me, and lots of fresh water from now on!

Secondly, I need to learn how to have a day off. I tend to stay around the house on my days off, which doesn't work because I just end up doing work-related things out of boredom. So today I'm heading off to a local lake to go fishing and read some books. It's going to be great! I'm also learning to smile a lot more, to push myself a bit harder when exercising, and above all, focus on Jesus and not on my problems and needs. When I focus my attention on the Lord, all else just falls away and I know the future has promise.

Turn

I have been praying for a turnaround in our home group... and thanks to God, it came last night. We had a really good discussion, and are meeting some really cool new people.

We are seeing the wonderful things that happen when the Holy Spirit does the work. I have given up long ago the idea of trying to achieve spiritual results in human strength... One doesn't get very far. But when the Holy Spirit is given full control, amazing things happen, more amazing things than we could ever dream up ourselves.

Thank you Lord, that you are drawing people to yourself in this place. You are changing lives; you are revealing yourself to people as the God who loves them and has a great purpose for their life. Continue to use my life, Lord, as you want to... to show who you are to this world.

Refreshed, Recharged

I experienced today what it means to be refreshed by the family of God. I was feeling a little strained by everything, and began to realise that I really need to spend time with people my own age, rather than just working all the time and having little casual social contact. You don't realise how important that is until you don't have it any more.

This evening, then, was an answer to prayer - I went to visit a Christian group that meets at the local University. They were such a warm, welcoming group, and I felt instantly at home. I was encouraged too by the Bible study (we are reading through Ecclesiastes). As I drove home, I could have cried for joy, because God has provided exactly what I needed. He is so good. Thank you Lord.