When a homeschool day goes bad, a work project hits a wall, my boys fuss and fight, my girls talk back or my adult kids and I butt heads…when things go wrong…I have the terrible habit of basing my success on what I (or we) have or have not accomplished.
Can you relate? We pray hard, work hard; we search, seek, learn, grow; we teach, train, counsel, correct, disciple; we rise early, stay up late, pull all-nighters. We give our all. Naturally, we want to see positive, encouraging markers that show that we’re getting somewhere! We want the harvest. And we want it now.
We forget that is not how planting works. That’s not how growth happens. We plant and water and all we see is…well, nothing. There are days it seems nothing is taking root, the seeds aren’t ever going to sprout. We don’t see satisfactory “evidence” of growth and progress; we don’t see fruit, so we must be failing.
The Apostle Paul confessed, ”I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.“ – I Corinthians 3:6-7
It takes an incredible amount of FAITH to plant, water and WAIT for the harvest! Long before fruit starts to hang off the tree. or buds form, or the plants begin to sprout, we become tired, wear out and grow impatient. Then we are discouraged, and tell ourselves, “What’s the use anyway?”.
The Bible says, ”And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.“ - Galatians 6:9
At the right time, we SHALL reap, as long as we do. not. quit. What a tremendous promise! What HOPE!
”Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:“ -Isaiah 26:3-4
Be encouraged in the Lord!
“Judge each day NOT by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.”
Simply growing in grace,
Melissa Lyn Scott
II Corinthians 9:8