Plant the Seed

Ecclesiastes 11:4-6, "Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don't know if profit will come from one activity or another--or maybe both."

"I just can't see what God's up to."

These are the words I've spoken often the last few months. Many of my steps have required taking one step at a time and believing God will catch me if I start to fall. It's been a definite season of growing my faith.

Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 have been on my heart the last few days. Verse 4 has been especially standing out to me: "Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest."

As I've pondered this verse, what it makes me realize is the importance of the decisions I make today. I realize that even while I don't see what God is doing behind the scenes, I need to be planting seeds. Even while the weather doesn't seem perfect and the clouds don't seem to be in the right spot, I need to plant those seeds, because rain will come to water them. If I am waiting to see what God is going to do before planting those seeds, I will never harvest.

These are some examples of what I'm talking about:

I desire to be a Christian writer and even have my writing published. I don't have a book written, but I am planting seeds by posting devotionals here on my blog and uploading them to a site called FaithWriters. I am doing what I can do, and God is taking care of what I cannot do. He has shown me favor and is taking what I write and opening doors for me that I could never open on my own. All He asks of me is that I plant the seed.

I'd like to be able to eventually be working enough to support myself and continue growing into the young woman God's called me to be. Right now, the seeds I am planting are being faithful in the job I have and applying for positions where what I'm praying for can come to pass. God is the only one Who can provide the things I need financially, but what He is asking of me is to plant the seed.

Eventually, I hope to be a wife and mom. This isn't something I can make happen on my own, but there are seeds I can plant in this area. I need to be the person God wants me to be. If I am following God, I trust He will send a man after His own heart to me at just the right time.

In all of these things, if I looked at whether the weather was favorable or not, I'd never harvest. If I don't write, I won't ever be published. If I pray for God to further me in my life and allow me to become a responsible young adult, but I don't do my part in being faithful where I'm at or in applying to get where I'd like to go, I'll never move past where I'm at today. If I'm not being the woman God's called me to be, I won't be prepared for the man He has in store for me to share my life with.

All of these things start with a seed.

If we plant the seed, I truly believe God will send the rain in His perfect timing.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Sometimes I want to see the rain before planting the seed. I praise You that You've opened my eyes to the importance of planting seeds today and trusting that You'll send the rain at just the right time. Show me what seeds You want me to be planting. As I do what You call me to do, please do what I cannot do. In Jesus' Name.

Amen.