The Vigilant Farmer
“So be patient therefore brethren [as you wait] till the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land.[see how] he keeps up his patient [vigil] over it until it receives the early and late rain”. James 5:7 Amplified Bible
No matter what you may be facing today you must always remember that God has already planted the seed of victory for whatever you face. The seed for the deliverance of your need is already planted by God and is already yours. Even now it is growing to fulfillment, preparing for the fruitfulness that you desire. But you must be patient! You cannot lose hope when the situation appears to be at odds with the desired end. You can neither rush the outcome nor stumble because you do not see it. When the farmer plants the seed, if he returns the next day expecting to see the plant mature and ready for harvest, he will be sorely disappointed and lose heart. Patience is the key. The experienced farmer knows that when he placed that seed in the ground germination took place and the seed if allowed to develop, it will produce fruit. He may not know how the process works, but he believes it and acts upon that belief until the crop is ready to bear the fruit it was intended to bring to the farmer’s life. He has an active part to play overseeing and protecting that seed as it grows to stalk and leaf. We must have this same certainty in the seed given and planted in our life!
The seed is the Word and we must act like the farmer in the illustration did, protecting the Word, the seed, until the time it can be harvested. God has provided the seed and we plant it when we receive the Word and believe it. At the very moment we receive it, and thus plant it the spiritual realm, the prayer is answered and the provision is made. The seed is not ready to be harvested though and we must protect it. The enemy will try to kill the seed, to kill it with drought. He will make the conditions worse so that our doubts and unbelief cause the seed to dry and perish. Like the farmer, we must be vigilant and watch over our seed, weeding so that it gets what it needs to grow and watering when required so that it can grow. We keep the birds and critters away from it so that it will bear fruit at the appointed time. We do all of this simply by believing and thanking God throughout the process, even when things may not appear to be happening. Remember how the farmer in this verse was expectant? He knew that the need was met, that a harvest and a strong crop was in his future. And because he believed even what he could not see, he protected the seed throughout the process. He was patient and vigilant over that seed.
But here is perhaps the best news of all for the farmer and us as we cultivate that seed of promise in our lives. It is not left up to us to assure the seed will produce a harvest. It is God that does the needed watering! The farmer had two important times that his crop needed rain, right after the seed was planted (the early rain), then again just before the harvest the late rain, when the ears were filling with kernels and the fruit had to be produced.
When we believe the Word in our lives, God takes that seed we planted and He waters it to be sure that it will grow towards fulfillment. Then we just watch over and protect it by believing at all times, even when we cannot see the evidence. Your seed of victory was planted when you believed His Word. Now you just need to remain vigilant.
J Todd Hostetler