By Pastor Kevin Barnhart
Spring Grove Evangelical Free
James 5:7–8: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it re-ceives the early and the late rains.
8 You also, be patient”
John 12:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”
Growth is amazing. The farmers have been out planting. The seeds go into the ground and so many things begin to happen. The Bible draws us into the mysteries of agriculture, into the mysteries of life. There is sowing and there is reaping. The reality of inputs producing outputs is so foundational to God’s created order that it becomes a key part of wisdom. Some talk about this as garbage in means garbage comes out. What we sow we will reap.
Sometimes our timelines for this causal relationship of inputs and output don’t align with God’s timeline (with our experienced reality). We want it to happen faster. Being patient can be hard. We live in an instant world; we want things to happen quickly. Waiting for growth is challenging. Real growth, real change takes time. For the person in the process of change they doesn’t realize it.
It’s slow, it’s incremental, it’s hidden. The seed is in the earth doing its thing, and no one can see what is happening. Parents sometimes can’t see the growth and change but others who aren’t there every day are surprised at the amazing growth. Incremental growth is God’s preferred method.
Jesus told his disciples that he had many things for them but that their hearts couldn’t handle this wonderful reality. The Holy Spirit would incrementally lead them into all truth. Why incrementally? Incremental is slow. BUT – I want fast, better yet instant, better yet want it yesterday.
Positive growth isn’t the only reality that operates on this principle. Changes for the worse take time too. We can turn from the light one degree after another, one step away from what is good, right, and life giving towards something life crushing and hope surrendering-slipping towards darkness and despair without even knowing we are moving. So why does God allow for change to occur gradually even if that is ignored?
What if the answer came down to two words – mercy and love. God loves you; He wants to give you time. If you have turned from Him, He wants to give you time to turn back. He doesn’t delight in anyone dying, but longs for all to come to Him. Jesus’ love is clearest seen in Him weeping over Jerusalem longing for all to come.
God has so many things for you. Like a cup, if He kept pouring in your cup would fill up and spill over on to the floor, and fill up your house. The ocean of His love and goodness can’t fit in our cups. So, what does He do? He slows down the rate of flow. He allows us to grow like the seed – in the earth, unnoticed. The greatest change of all is compared to a seed in the earth. The Apostle Paul tells us that what is sown in the ground perishable that is our earthly bodies we lay to rest will be raised imperishable. The Miracle of the seed is transformation. God will raise out of the earth what we were intended to be all along. Out of soil, out of dust, comes life. Resurrection is the seed’s future, and ours too if you choose Jesus.
As you drive by fields and see the green shoots pushing out of black soil – think of what God is doing in your life. What growth are you experiencing? What would happen if you surrendered to the God of all the universe and allowed Him to plant life giving seeds in your soul. Place your faith in Him who will harvest the things planted for resurrected life.
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