Get Everything Ready For You In The Field

I find it interesting that my Bible readings today both come from the book of Proverbs!  Let me back up and explain-I am using a daily plan that will allow me to read through the entire Bible by the end of the year.  I also have been working through Disciple Bible Study on my own and the focus of this week's readings happens to be the book of Proverbs.  I'll tell ya what, I am beginning to think that anyone in a leadership position should consider this book of the Bible as required reading!  It's like peeling back an onion, the more you read it, the more you see!

I don't know about other bloggers but I actually pray before I write-it's real simple "please dear Lord, don't let me stick my foot in my mouth and let me say something that will be helpful to someone!  Guide my way.  Amen"  I wait until that still small voice kicks in and then I start writing.  I call it my "spiritual nudge" because that's the best way that I can explain it.  I've talked quite a bit about having faith and hope and using your God given gifts, tapping in to your God given creativity, etc. etc.  Personally, I thought it was time to move on to something new.  Nope!  Apparently, I haven't said it enough times yet, so you and I dear friends, are gonna cover the territory again!  This is good stuff though!  We're just mining a little deeper and coming at it from a different angle, looking at the same message, just in a different way!

Here is what Proverbs 24:27 says:

"Prepare your work outside, get everything ready for you in the field; and after that build your house."

Hmmm....now that's interesting!  First, you prepare your work and get everything ready out in the field THEN you build your house.  Say what?  Doesn't common thought dictate that you put a roof over your head first and then you do the other things?  Yet this is saying to reverse that order.  Why? 

There's a life lesson here!  Wait for it...wait for it.....

In an agricultural community how do you feed your family and how do you produce an income?  From your crops and livestock.  So preparing your field is investing in your future!  You plow the field and plant the seed or the grape vine or the apple tree. Then there is a period of time where you have to wait-it's called growing season.  You still have to tend to the various things-pull the weeds, watch for disease, water when necessary but essentially it is not as labor intensive as the initial planting season.  This is when you can work on building your house.  Because at the end of growing season you're going to be busy gathering the harvest.  Harvest comes in due season but there will be nothing to harvest if you didn't prepare the field in the first place!  And, if you haven't taken the time to build some place to put that harvest for safe keeping it will not last!

Some of you are probably thinking "that's nice but I'm not a farmer so I don't know how that would apply to me."  Think bigger!  Be creative, broaden your perspective.  Maybe your "field" is to get more training.  Maybe your "field" is to get in touch with someone who can help you write that business plan.  Maybe your "field" is to start a new ministry or outreach program.  Maybe your "field" is to be a mentor.  Your "field" is that gift or idea that you need to invest in so you can reap a harvest, either for yourself or for others!  Think about the possibilities!  This is taking that God given creativity and making plans and doing the work now so you can reap a harvest later!  It is literally taking the steps necessary to get the ball rolling!  You are taking a carefully planned leap of faith! 

I remember reading about the pioneers and how they would build their barns  and outbuildings or plow their fields before they built their houses-something I didn't understand at the time but now I do.  It was a statement of faith and hope.  They planned and planted and built because they had faith that harvest would come!  They were willing to do the work to make it happen.  They had the courage to take a risk! 

There are great ideas and plans out there that will never see the light of day, let alone a time of harvest if someone doesn't go out there and plan for them.  They will never see the light of day if someone is not willing to take a risk.  Pray, study, ask, discern.  Is the time right?  Is the time now?  If it is, then what steps need to be taken in order to start?  Start getting everything ready now so you can be ready when the time is right!  Harvest time only comes when you are willing to do the work in the first place!  Pray, plan, prepare!  Have faith and hope!  Believe that God truly does want the very best for you!  Mediocrity is easy.  Great things involve great work and a whole lot of planning!  Are you ready?

An entire life lesson in one simple verse!  How cool is that?!