Preparing Your Field for Rain - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Preparing Your Field for Rain

Ecclesiastes 11:3-6

Intro: The book of Ecclesiastes is filled with common sense. Some of what Solomon said is not easy to understand. Other things make so much sense.

In the midst of Solomon’s quest for meaning and satisfaction, he makes these statements that are quite profound.

While reading these verses again this week, I thought of our increased efforts in the area of soulwinning.

This is not a deep message because these are not deep verses.

These truths are literally so simple that it is amazing how many times we may miss them.

I. The Observation that is Unprofitable

· Ecclesiastes 11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Many times, God’s people fall into the trap of trying to predict or anticipate things beyond our control.

He starts out in verse 3 reminding us that there are many things outside of our ability to control.

· 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

1. The example of the clouds that are full.

We cannot in anyway control the hydrologic cycle. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation and all over again.

It does what it will, and we cannot do anything about it.

We cannot stop the water from evaporating, and we cannot stop the precipitation.

We cannot control when and where it will rain.

2. The example of the tree that is fallen.

We cannot control the falling of trees.

When it falls, it falls where it wants and when it wants to.

It’s a waste of time worrying about it.

The farmer in verse 4 is waiting to sow the seed when he feels that the time is right.

He spends so much time waiting for the right conditions that he completely misses the chance to reap a harvest.

One man said it like this: “Analysis produces paralysis.”

In other words, while people spend so much time studying their options, they miss their opportunity.

The window of opportunity is so narrow in the grand scheme of things.

It’s amazing at how many people wait until they are making more money before they start tithing.

There’s an entire group of people that plan to get involved in the church when they retire.

They are too busy to do anything with the ministry. Then they retire and they are too old to do anything.

The list of excuses why people won’t sow is endless.

· “I’ve got to work”, and then “it’s my day off.”

· “It’s raining”, or “it’s too pretty outside we need to take advantage of it and go do something.”

· “I just can’t walk very well”, then you see drive by their house and see them cutting their grass with a push mower.”

· “I don’t feel safe in that traffic.” Then you see them posting pictures at the ballgame.

On and on we could go. Waiting for the perfect conditions will result in no harvest.

The farmer that stands on the front porch every day watching the skies will eventually starve to death.

The Christian that waits for the perfect conditions to do something for God will not sow and will not reap.

II. The Operation that is Unmistakable

· 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

You know God is working. You just don’t know how or what.

He described our limitation in two ways.

A. You know not WHAT

Things are happening that you cannot begin to know.

B. You know not HOW

There are things that we have no idea is happening.

Then there are things that are happening and we know that it is happening.

But we do not now HOW it is happening.

We know that baby is growing in the womb, but we cannot explain HOW it happens.

Sometimes we can see things happening, but cannot explain it.

You know it is happening, but you cannot see it.

You don’t know WHAT is happening.

You don’t know HOW it is happening.

One thing you can know for a fact – God is working!

There is not mistaking that!!

III. The Occupation that is Unpredictable

· 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

This verse is amazing.

Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, makes a very profound statement.

He said, “sow your seed in the morning, and in the evening, sow some more.”

He said several things are going to happen.

1. The seed you sowed in the morning will prosper.

2. The seed you sowed in the evening will prosper.

3. Or all both of them shall be alike good.

In other words, you and I have no control over the rain.

We have no control over the harvest.

We cannot predict the frost, the bugs, the droughts, the rain, the floods or the sunshine.

The only thing we can control is how much seed we put in the ground.

We can try and guess which times are the most beneficial.

We can put it in a test tube and run experiments and analysis and enter all the data into spreadsheets.

We can hire experts to test the soil and we can buy the almanacs to learn the weather patterns.

We can waste a lot of time trying to predict and guess, or…

We can just sow seed morning and night and leave the results up to God.

We can prepare our fields for rain, so that when it rains, we’ve done all we can do.