“The other day,” Stan began, “I drove down memory lane.”
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“I was on my way over to Pleasantville to talk with the pastor of the community church,” Stan replied, “and I saw a farmer plowing his field. I stopped and watched for awhile remembering growing up on the farm.”
Continuing, he said, “As I sat there for a few minutes I was reminded of the Biblical truth about plowing and getting ready for the next harvest.”
“What next harvest?” I asked.
“Well,” Stan replied, “it’s just like the farmer. If he doesn’t plow the ground after the last harvest, he’s not going to be ready to plant for the next harvest.”
Continuing, he added, “And I think there are all sorts of next harvests in my life, but I know they won’t happen all by themselves. I have to be prepared.”
“As an example from the person I know best,” he added, “if I don’t prepare myself to receive from God the next thing He has for me, there’s no chance I will be able to harvest that next thing by making it a part of my life.”
“So,” I replied, “if you haven’t prepared yourself to receive what God has for you, it won’t be planted and harvested. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Exactly,” Stan replied.
“And how do you do that?” I asked.
“As with everything,” Stan responded, “it all involves choices. Just like the farmer, he had to choose to get out of bed, choose to drive his tractor into the field, choose to plow, choose to be ready to plant for the next harvest, and he had to choose for there to be a next harvest.”
Concluding, he said, “Do you see all of the choices I have to make in order to be ready for the next harvest, whatever God intends for that next harvest to be? It won’t happen unless I make the choices to be ready.”
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The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, so he begs during the harvest and has nothing. Proverbs 20:4.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the harvests you have in my life. Thank you for the truth of needing to prepare for the next harvest you have for me, regardless of what that next harvest may look like. I confess I too often do not prepare for the next harvest and I miss it because I’m not ready. Please forgive that foolishness. And please, Father, help me in following every step of your lead in being prepared to receive from you whatever you want to plant in me, whatever it is you want to grow, whatever it is that you want to be ready for the next harvest. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Do you agree you have to be prepared to receive from God what He has for you, and that it won’t happen unless you are ready? Why or why not? If you do agree, what does that preparation look like? Is the preparation something that has to be done on a daily basis? Why or why not? What happens if you are not prepared?
Waiting for the Train 