DUE SEASON: IF?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Some things are vanity. My Dad was a student at UK. The question arose about life… The doctor that was teaching the class on VALID or INVALID. The teacher stated nothing was useless or a waste. My Dad addressed the teacher and the teacher stated my dad was wrong saying many things in life are vanity, useless.
My Dad ruminated much about the premise and desired to prove his point. Man know my dad is an artist. He went home and purchased the largest apple he could find. My Dad worked many hours and painted a beautiful mountain scene, a river and trees on the apple. The next class dad quietly put the many hours of work on his teacher’s desk. Everyone admired the great detailed painting on the teacher’s desk.
Dad never said a word and just left the apple on the desk. Several days the apple was admired as a work of art. Slowly changes happened and the apple started turning brown. Dad placed the decaying apple on a rubber mat. Many days later the beautiful painting was on a totally rotten apple, and when the teacher picked up the rotten apple he said: Mr. Hughes has come to a valid conclusion that somethings are vain and the end product will never last the test of time…
I HAVE RUMINATED MANY TIMES ABOUT WHAT I AM DOING? AM I INVESTING WISELY? WILL THE END OF MY ROAD LEAD ME TO MANY REGRETS OF WASTED OPPORTUNITIES… We need not wait until we are on our death bed to HONESTLY EVALUATE NOT ONLY WHAT AM I PAINTING? BUT WILL MY CANVAS ROT AND DESTROY MY EFFORTS? RUMINATE?
PERHAPS WE ARE WORKING WITH DEFINITIONS WHAT WILL LEAD US TO DANGEROUS CONCEQUENCES…
WE COUNT REAL SUCCESS BY WHAT WE REAP TODAY --- THIS MIGHT BE AN INVALID CONCLUSION.
PERHAPS SUCCESS IS NOT WHAT I REAP TODAY, BUT WHAT HAVE I PLANTED TODAY?
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Galatians 6:7 (MSG) 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!— 8 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.
I have a large apple and a knife… I quarter the apple, and I count the SEEDS that are in the apple?
THEN I ASK A QUESTION: WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT: THE APPLE OR THE SEED?
The answer depends: TODAY the apple is more important especially if we are hungry.
Let us think beyond today… MAYBE AS I AM COUNTING MY HARVEST, I MIGHT LOOK AHEAD TO MY GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
IF IS THE LARGEST SMALL WORD I KNOW… DUE SEASON? IF WE FAINT NOT?
THE LITTLE BIG WORD? OR MAY THE BIG LITTLE WORD IS IF…
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:9 (MSG) So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. 10 Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
I have a battery? Is this battery potential or kinetic energy?
While sitting in a garage this week I read a poster. It said: A 10,000 MILE JOURNEY CAN COME WITH ONE START…
Linda and I traveled 6,000 miles in one day,
Potential: capable of becoming real, exist in possibility, a chance, maybe- maybe not, the ability that something can be developed,
Kinetic: energy in motion, perform, action…
HOW BIG CAN THE LITTLE IF BE? MAYBE THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS TODAY NOT BE WHAT WE HAVE REAPED? MAYBE WE SHOULD MEASURE BY WHAT WE HAVE SOWN…
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
IF: it could happen--- it may not happen, something that may happen, or may be true, something that is not certain,
An old friend of mine would often quote a line to me, so often that I think I understand it:
NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE THAN THE WORDS, WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN …
DO WE UNDERVALUE THE POWER AND IMPORTANCE OF THE SEED?
SICKLY OAKES FROM SICKLY ACORNS GROW…
Our enemy is running a BIG SALE… Seems we buy into the ENEMY’S PROPAGANDA…
IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, WE BUY INTO THE BLAMING OF OTHERS…
We also buy into the plan: I AM THE PROBLEM! AND I AM TRAPPED TO STAY THE SAME OLD WAY…
You will stay the same old way if you keep doing things the same old way…
Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
TALK ABOUT WASTED POTENTIAL --- BOTH TODAY and yield no fruit in the future.
THE BOOMERANG EFFECT OF IF --- NO JOY OR SATISFACTION WHEN WE GIVE NO EFFORT AND WE GIVE LESS THAN ARE BEST…
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
CAIN DOOMED HIMSELF --- IF HE HAD APPLIED HIMSELF BETTER, IF HE HAD GIVEN BETTER?
Cain had as much potential as ABEL DID… he wasted his opportunities…
CAIN’S COUNTENANCE FELL? DEMEANOR? MOOD? WHY?
Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Cain counted apples, GOD COUNTS SEEDS…
IF, I PLANTED THE RIGHT SEEDS? IF I HAD PLANTED MORE SEEDS? SEED FAITH IF THE TRUTH! 1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
THE FIRE IS COMING: WOOD, HAY, STUBBLE ---
THE FIRE IS COMING: GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES… I can't see?
Never forget SOME PLOW, SOME PLANT, SOME WATER… BUT IT IS GOD THAT GIVES THE INCREASE…
There is a Mathematical law called 0… multiply 1x0=0, 10x0= 0, 1,000x0=0…
Blessed is he who expects nothing for he shall get exactly what he expected.
Les Brown tells a wonderful illustration that we need to consider…
There is a tree that grows in the FAR EAST. The tree grows from a SEED that is planted. The tree requires great effort.
If you plant the seed today you will see nothing tomorrow, the next day… a week later NOTHING!
This CHINESE BAMBOO SEED HAS TO BE PLANTED IN GOOD SOIL. You have to water this seed every day. You most work the soil around the seed often and keep the soil broken and loose. You must often fertilize and work the soil. Every day you must water this fragile seed. Daily the seed needs the farmers’ attention. Daily. To miss a day might kill the seed. Water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, water it, and look: YOU WILL SEE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
DAILY FOR FIVE YEARS AND NOTHING… NOTHING… IN 5 YEARS THE SEED THAT REQUIRED DAILY ATTENTION WILL FINALLY BREAK THROUGH THE RICH SOIL. FINALLY? 5 LONG YEARS AND WE SEE LIFE. ONCE THE CHINESE BAMBOO TREE BREAKS THROUGH THE GROUND, IN 5 WEEKS THE CHINESE BAMBOO TREE WILL GROW 90 FEET TALL. 90 FEET IN 5 WEEKS?
DOES THE BAMBOO TREE GROW 90 FEET IN 5 WEEKS? LET’S BE REAL, AFTER 5 WEEKS OF PLANTING THE TREE YOU SEE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING? DOES IT GROW 90 FEET IN FIVE WEEKS, OR IS IT 5 YEARS AND 5 WEEKS? If you stop watering the seed in the 5 years it will die almost immediately. The Bamboo seed requires constant attention.
HEY BUDDY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I CAN’T SEE ANY FRUIT OF YOUR LABORS? 5 years of nothing…
The neighbor comes over, and says: YOU LOOK PRETTY STUPID OUT HERE? I watch you work and work, and there is nothing? His neighbor laughs and says: I HEARD YOU ARE GROWING TREES? EVEN A BLIND IDIOT CAN SEE ALL YOUR WORK AND THERE ARE NO TREES! How long are you going to keep watering those “trees?” Give it up! I can’t see it my friend, give up and grow some rice and feed your family?
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
My friend FAITH requires patience. PATIENCE requires faith. So Pastor I can’t see it? Faith and Patience must drive us to continue our actions UNTIL… Hear my heart, sure we have known hard times, sure the neighbors cannot see your dream. Sure, Noah built the ARK 120 years, 8 souls saved? Come on Noah, admit it, you failed! Ask any one, your seed must be rotten?
FAITH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR DREAMS…
YOU MUST KEEP YOUR ATTITUDES GOOD ABOUT THE SEEDS AND THE WORK.
Sure we cry, NO ONE SEES YOUR INVESTMENT… MY DEAR FRIEND, IT IS NOT ABOUT YOUR HARVEST TODAY, IT ABOUT HOW WELL YOU SOW THE SEEDS THAT ARE IN YOUR HANDS… DON’T EAT THE SEED CORN. If what you have is not enough for the harvest, the fruit is to be seed, plant it and water it… MAYBE GOD IS DEVELOPING SEED IN YOU…
QUIT CRYING, IF WE REFUSE TO FAINT, DUE SEASON IS COMING… The enemy cannot stop YOUR DUE SEASON: IF!!!
This is a trial of your faith…
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
IT IS TOO SOON TO QUIT. REST IF YOU MUST, BUT DON’T QUIT. The hotter the battle the greater is our God!
Keep watering… I will close with a question I have often asked God: WHO WATERS THE WATERER?
God answered me in his word:
Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Proverbs 11:25 (MSG) The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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