SUNDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2016,
For any reason waiting could make anyone boring. However, we always experience such waiting period even in our daily activity. We need to wait at traffic light, we need to wait at bus stop, we need to make a line in a bank, even sometimes we need to queue before we get our tasty lunch. Honestly, waiting is not always boring, moreover when we know for sure what we will get after that. The Bible gave lots example of waiting. Joseph need to wait 13 years before the dream from God came true. Abraham need to wait 25 years before he received what God already promised to him. Moses need to wait 40 years in the desert before God begin a wonderful journey of faith as an Israel leader. Even Jesus need to wait for 30 years before the Father command Him to start His ministry. Apostle James ask all believers to learn from the farmer about his patience in waiting. In those days, the knowledge of farming and planting must be lesser than nowadays. But the farmer never get tired in waiting for the precious crop. There is a precious lesson as well for us, not only in waiting for the God’s promises in our need but also in waiting for the glorious day of second coming of Jesus.
Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8 NKJV
SOW AND WAIT
Sowing is not the same with scattering. Before the farmers can wait for the good produce he need to sow in the correct way. Sowing means that the farmer need to put the good seed with a good faith. Sowing a bad seed will not give a good result but sowing a good seed must bring out the good fruit Mt.7:17-20. As Christ disciples, the only seed that we must sow is the word of God Lk.8:11. The seed is very tiny in size compared to the tree or the fruit it will bring out. Sometimes we even cannot see the seed but we must not ignore the seed. Without good seeds, we will could never expect the fruit.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God Luke 8:11
having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever 1Peter 1:23
God’s word is the most excellent seed with no corrupt thing at all and we need to always sow that seed in every single day of our life. Doing the word of God is like sowing a seed, it’s very tiny compared to big things in this world and we also cannot see the result in instant. Instead of giving an instant coffee powder to have a cup of coffee, God gave us a coffee plant seeds. It will take very long way until we can sip a coffee but that is a worth waiting since knowing that we can get pure coffee, without any preservatives added, and plenty of coffee to drink instead only one cup.
God gave us the seeds so we can get the purest result. God gave us the seeds so we can harvest many. This is the importance why we need to speak God’s words more than ours even more than ever. Not only to put it in our mouth but also in our deeds. While another workmate doing cheat in works, a believer must keep sowing a good seed and keep doing right thing in the presence of God. While another friend spent weekend time in the wrong place, a faithful man must keep sowing a good seed and stick with the good appointment with God. Once again, we cannot see the instant result of God’s word that we already sowed but let’s believe and strengthen our faith today that nothing will be happened in vain. Let’s keep sowing a good seed in our marriage, in our family, in our workplace, in our community, and in our friendship, as well. Sowing and waiting sometimes will make our tears drop, but God promise that whoever sow in tears will reap in joy. God never allow us to stop sowing. Keep sowing the good seed no matter how painful it will be and we will never feel sorry about it.
So, shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth, it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6
THE EARLY AND LATTER RAIN
The truth about sowing involve the coming of the rain as well. In those days, the farmer fully depends on rain. With huge farm and few farmers so only rain can do the perfect watering for the seed. No one can make the real rain and only God can do that. The rain speaks about God’s works that will give a good impact even divine power for the seeds we already sown even bring it into perfection!
In Israel condition the farmers used to wait for the early rain and the latter rain. In another translation, the rain described as the autumn rain and the spring rain (NIV). There were two seasons of the year in which the rain fell abundantly. In the latter part of October and early November came the early rains. The second downpour came in the spring in the latter part of March and the first part of April. The October-November rains were called the early rain, and the March-April rains were called the latter rain. Though we do not live at Israel and surrounding area the truth about early rain and latter rain still exist in the journey of our faith. In the eschatology perspective (the part of theology about the end times), while the rain symbolizes the works of the Holy Spirit, the early rain and the latter rain represent the wondrous works of the Holy Spirit in the early development of the church at the book of Acts and the perfection of the body of Christ just before the second coming of Christ.
In that perspective, it’s impossible for us to experience the early rain since it was only a history happened 2000 years ago. But in our practical life as Christian we could experience the truth of early rain again. Whenever we start to sow that good seed God will not leave us without any sign of His attention to what we already done. The waiting period we will face may different each other even unique case by case but His promise still the same. God will pour down that early rain maybe in the form of heavenly miracle, help, guidance, peace, joy, or something else. Just keep in our mind that it is not the real precious fruit we are waiting for. The God’s seed is heavenly and so is the precious fruit. While we are waiting for the latter rain that will bring our fruit into perfection God give us a sprinkle (compared to the biggest rain at latter rain) of His blessing that will strengthen and encourage our faith in the waiting period.
When David keep sowing good seed to Saul who pursue and want to kill him, God gave him a lot of early rain that keep him refresh and his faith alive. God gave him lot of escape and one of it called with The Rock of Escape 1Sam.23:28 even God gave the throne of Israel to David. But let’s understand that being the king of Israel is not the goal of sowing that eternal seed. Our goal as believers is not something that we could get in this world, that’s too cheap and fragile, but however God still wants to gave us that early rain, the works of Holy Spirit in the process of our waiting time, so we can keep strong and fresh.
Whoever get prepared and keep sowing the good seed will experience that latter rain. But whoever ignore to sow that good seed will be separated away in the last days just like what happened at the book of Acts Ac.5:13. The latter rain will bring lots of advantage for those who already sow the seed and it seems quite hard for those who lazy and does not sow anything before to take any advantage from the latter rain Pr.20:4 because at the same time the devil will work extra hard and extra time to deceive even the strong believer Mt.24:24.
THE REAL PRECIOUS FRUIT
Whoever sows spiritually will reap the fruit eternally. Do not faint and boring in our waiting time. Keep sowing the good seed, taste His early rain, and let us expect for that heavy rain in last days. Let’s keep in our mind that the real precious fruit is on the way, that glorious day will come when we will receive the real reward from Jesus Christ Rev.22:12-13. Let’s establish our hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:7-9