Are you plowing your field?

In these uncertain times.... Wait a minute. Can we really say that it is "uncertain?" God's
word tells us that these times will happen. Let me rephrase, in these difficult times we
are in need to remember that we have to relinquish control to the Almighty God. There are
times we have to place our hands in our laps and just say, "Thank you God that you know what
is going on and that you have a plan in place for it." For Sara and I, it's been difficult
for us in this area. Our marriage has been awesome and has been filled with many blessings.
Many people are not aware of the financial blows we have had in our first year and a half
of marriage. We have very little debt and at the time of this writing we are paying it off
little by little, but we purpose to owe no man anything and to give like never before.
Before I go further into this, I must let you know that this is not a bragging session or a
pump up our ego. This simply is to share with you what God has done in our lives. I love
the saying, "Results May Vary" because it depends on your determination and the heart behind it. Anyhow, many people know that six months after we were married, I lost my job and we were stranded in Memphis after a trip with no money because my car quit. I can remember my dear bride in tears worried that we were not going to get home. I remember being frustrated with God and asking why were these things happening because being the man of the house, I should be able to least provide for my family. Of course, when you are in the middle of the field and it's storming, you can't see the growth of the seed beneath your feet. Shortly before we got married, God dealt with me on giving. Though this is not a message on giving, this is very important to the story. In order to reap a harvest, I had to begin planting seeds in my life. Now, it's not just a money thing but a heart thing. The rich man was not denied entry into heaven because he didn't give his money and processions, it was because his money and processions became his god. He relied on the harvest instead of the one who provided the seed and rain for the harvest. Without the seed and the necessary nutrients, the seed can not grow. Not only do you have to plant the seed, but you have to plow the field to place the seed in the ground. By plowing a field, the farmer digs up any material that is not supposed to be in the field. He also airates the field and allows the dirt to breath. It is then he puts the seed into the ground and waters it. Little by little the sprout begins to poke through the surface. In the meantime, we would tend to anxiously wait for it to grow. However, a farmer would water it and begin the process of preparing for the harvest. The farmer does not begin to harvest the plant until it has matured. If it is harvested too early, you don't recieve everything you need from it. The same goes with your life. If you try to harvest what is not ready, you will not get the full return from it. But if you are patient in waiting for your seed to mature, you will recieve the full benefit from your harvest. In Galatians 6:7-9, Paul writes that a man will "reap what he sows" and that we are "not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Of course, Paul talks about the "proper time" and to us we feel that it's the midnight hour and the wolf is crying at the door. In Isaiah, the prophet spoke that those who "wait upon the Lord" will "mount up with wings as eagles that when they run they will not grow weary. When they walk, they will not grow faint." Get ready to mount up your wings. When the wolf knocks on the door, let him huff and puff. Let him think he has control because you already know who has control and who wins in the end. Get ready to gather your harvest!