Farming 101

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous . . .” Hebrews 12:11

Farmers know what, when, and how to do what needs doing for successful harvests; it is a God thing, a talent He lavishes on some people. For example, the farmer knows the right time to plow over a field, even when produce is still standing. A farmer-friend told me this process improves the soil and guarantees successful future crops.

Do you sometimes feel like you are being “plowed over?” The writer of Hebrews under the Holy Spirit's leadership tells us that if God doesn’t discipline you, it means you are not His child (v. 8). God’s discipline is always for our good; He corrects us so we can share in His holiness (v. 10). Do we enjoy chastisement? No, because it is sometimes uncomfortable, embarrassing, even painful. But the passage today concludes with a promise: “But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in the way” (v. 11 NLT).

Impressed by the “arrow-straight” rows, I asked a farmer if there was a reason why the rows were meticulously straight. In my early twenties at the time, I had a mental notepad and pencil ready to record what I expected to be a teachable moment. Instead, he surprised me by saying, “It’s a matter of pride.” He was not referring to an arrogant pride, but This is my livelihood, my field, and I want it to be the best it can be satisfaction in his work. My next question was, “How do you keep the rows so straight?” Without hesitation, he said he focused and drove towards a focal point he set across the field.

Now that was a teachable moment. Life’s distractions lure us off course, and often, we choose an alternate, more exciting route or a more comfortable path that God never intended. Those choices sometimes lead to discipline—because He loves us. But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, plowing through God’s prepared plan for us, our “life-rows” stay straight, and the abundance of fruit we produce brings glory to God’s name and blessings to others and our lives as well.