“You’ve Been Given a Field”

Recently, our leadership group discussed a devotion called, “The Field” written by Bishop Schnase. We were asked to imagine ourselves receiving the gift of a field no longer used for farming. Imagine being expected to produce a harvest on that fallow field. What would you do?

You’ve been given a field.

• First, you endeavor to learn all you can.
• Then you go to work preparing the field.
• There is a time for sowing seeds.
• Followed by many, many hours of feeding and weeding.
• The results are inconsistent at first as you learn through trial and error.
• Over time, you experience the joy of being a witness to God’s harvest.

Schnase then writes: “These metaphors describe our souls. We’ve each been given a field. Our personal work is difficult and lifelong, the risks are many and fruitfulness is expected. How do we till and re-till the soil, plant the right seeds, protect against the weeds and pests and offer fruit pleasing to our Lord? God’s is a Spirit of assurance, of vision, of sustenance, a present help in trouble. We do not garden alone. God is the Lord of the harvest.”

These metaphors could also describe our churches. How we are planting and harvesting the souls given to us within our community.

• First, you endeavor to learn all you can.
• Then you go to work preparing the field.
• There is a time for sowing seeds.
• Followed by many, many hours of feeding and weeding.
• The results are inconsistent at first as you learn through trial and error.
• Over time, you experience the joy of being a witness to God’s harvest.

The Apostle Paul also writes about farming:

“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God! — harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

We’ve been given a field. “What a person plants, he will harvest.”

If we plant selfishness, ignore the needs of others, ignore God… we will harvest weeds.

If we plant in response to God and allow God’s Spirit to work within us. We will harvest a beautiful crop… eternal life.

Kerry Randall wrote, “Contrary to popular opinion, life does not get better by chance, life gets better by change. And this change always takes place inside; it is the change of thought that creates the better life.”

Life does not get better by chance…. you’ve been given a field.

• First you endeavor to learn all you can.
• Then you go to work preparing the field.
• There is a time for sowing seeds.
• Followed by many, many hours of feeding and weeding.
• The results are inconsistent at first as you learn through trial and error.
• Over time, you experience the joy of being a witness to God’s harvest.

Life gets better by change… as the field produces the harvest, God’s harvest.

Amen.