Romans 8:18-19
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
Today was such a beautiful warm day, but as I’m writing these notes, the forecast for tomorrow (Sunday) projects it will be cold and rainy for much of the day, and I’m not surprised; it’s April. There’s an old English proverb that says, “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers". To have the beautiful array of greenery and flowers we enjoy in New Jersey, inclement weather is a necessary component.
No matter how inconvenient, good farmers welcome rain as much as they do sunshine. An unskilled or unwise farmer throws ‘caution to the wind’ and hopes against hope for the best. But the prudent person prepares, measures the risks, assesses the situation and proceeds with an expectation of certain success based on mitigating factors that all but guarantee a rich harvest. No wise person plants valuable seed without the expectation of an even greater harvest. First of all, planting is hard work. There are steps and processes that must be followed. There’s irrigation and weeding and plain old hard work ahead. And even though we don’t control the rain, we can prepare our seed to receive it.
The seed you plant is not disconnected from the soil you plant it in. Good soil, good seed, great results. Bad soil, good seed, mixed results. Mostly bad. Climate counts. Irrigation counts. Moisture and rain definitely count. But as good as she is, even Martha Stewart can’t grow grass in the desert. The climate has to be right. The soil must be prepared.
Jesus taught a parable on seed placement. He said, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Luke 8:5-8).
What Jesus was teaching (and what I hope to convey) is the total necessity of creating cultures and climates of rich spiritual content. In horticulture, the soil we plant in is extremely important. The same is true of the Word of God. Wonder why your prayers aren’t working? Planting the rich Word of God in dry, undeveloped, rocky or thorny places will not produce its expected results. There’s preparation that must take place. Hosea 10:12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”
The thought that we can simply sit back and quote scripture and things will magically turn out in our favor is a fallacy. Like seed, it’s not simply in the planting, but also in the conditioning. The climate with which we bring forth the Word is often as vital as the words we speak. How can we expect the grace and abundant favor of God to overshadow us, and we refuse to break up the fallow ground of our own hearts? Can I effectively pray for peace, yet harbor hatred in my heart? Can I fervently seek mercy, yet plan vengeance against my neighbor? Here’s a tough one. Can I expect corporate blessings from the Lord to heal our lands and exclude and segregate Christians that aren’t like me?
I cannot remember a time when the church has prayed more than we have these last 12-13 months. I cannot remember an occasion where the cries of Gods people have been louder. I certainly can’t think of a recent time when we need him more than we do right now. But, have our hearts turned back to God? Are we crying out in pain or in surrender?
Dear Child of God, yes, it may be raining in our lives, but to see the results in May, we must prepare during the April showers.
God bless
