The Bible is filled with lots of different metaphors and analogies. Jesus himself used images and parables of everyday life to better connect with his audience; apparently Jesus thought that going line-by-line through the scriptures wasn’t the only effective way of teaching.
James uses a familiar metaphor of a farmer tending his or her fields to discuss patience in the midst of suffering. James says that the farmer works and waits, knowing that eventually there will be fruit. This analogy can offer us encouragement when facing suffering, trusting that God will produce something of value as we wait and work in the midst of suffering.
The problem is we shouldn’t start working and sowing when suffering comes. The farmer doesn’t only plant at the beginning of a drought; he or she is always working, always sowing something, regardless of the season. We should follow suit because what we sow during the normal seasons of our lives,\ will greatly benefit us when we face the seasons of suffering.
We should always be sowing into our lives disciplines like praying, reading the Bible, solitude, worship and gathering with other believers. Those practices aren’t a parachute we pull only when we start falling, but seeds we should regularly plant regardless of what we’re experiencing. Obviously, if we haven’t been practicing them they’ll still have value when we face suffering, but how much more valuable will they be if they’re already a regular part of our lives?
The beauty of James’ analogy is that the farmer sows even though he or she doesn’t know what the season is going to bring. There could be a drought, a flood or just the right amount of rain. The farmer doesn’t know what’s coming, but he or she contributes what he or she can. The farmer does his or her part and God will do the rest.
What do you like to sow in your life and how does that prepare you for the difficult seasons?
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