The Farmer

“The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops.” – 2 Timothy 2:6.
Paul describes the farmer as the one who is first to partake of his crops. What does it mean to partake of your crops? It means to be partnered with what you partake of. Jesus partnered with us by adopting us into His family at the cost of His life. Now, the crops we partake in can mean a few things one being people, and another being the fruits of the Spirit and God’s characteristics. Just as the farmer partakes and tends to his crops, tend and partake of God’s characteristics and fruits of the Spirit. Once you harvest these crops, these crops are worthy to be displayed at a farmer’s market or a crop competition. Display these characteristics and fruits of the Spirit in your life, so that people may see them and desire the same. As mentioned before, these crops also represent people. Jesus is the good farmer and the good shepherd. Both have in common of raising something and watching them grow. They both tend to and take good care of both. Jesus has led in an example of how to tend to and take care of His people. So, each of us in the Body of Christ shares the role of farmer and crop. Each of us are to be receiving from one another while also helping tend to one another. We work together as a unit and as a family.
“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” – 1 Peter 5:2-4.
Shepherds lead their flock and guide their flock. Farmers protect and help remove the problems trying to inflict harm on the crops. Therefore, let us be both shepherds and farmers leading and guiding those to Jesus so that they may be raised in Jesus while also being farmers by watching out for our family and helping point out things in love that need to be dealt with for the better good. Paul also pointed out that farmers are the first to partake. Farmers are the first ones to manage their crops and take care of them. Farmers work night and day, in and out of season, to protect and take good care of their crops.
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” – 2 Timothy 4:2.
Be ready to do anything God asks of you regardless of where you are at or what you are going through. You are to be a minutemen and minutemen were able to be ready for war within minutes. Not only are farmers supposed to be ready within minutes, but they are to also be patient waiting season upon season.
“…See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.” – James 5:7.
Sometimes when dealing with people, all you can do is plant the seed and pray for them. When you plant the seed, it will remain as the seed until something sparks inside of it causing it to grow and sprout.
“Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” – Matthew 9:38.
By praying for them, you’re praying to God for Him that He will send a farmer or even you to clear the debris and cultivate the soil making the way for the seed to grow. Now, the soil represents the person and their heart. God will send people to cultivate their soil and their hearts that the hardness preventing the goodness and love of God from entering their lives to fall off. Sometimes but not always, that person might be you only if the Spirit leads you to. God knows their heart and what that person needs so that they will be willing to receive. Sometimes, this takes a very specific person with a specific testimony or something that you may not have. Cultivation won’t spark the seed to grow because that job is God’s; however, cultivation will prepare the heart so that when God sends the showers of rain containing His goodness and love, they will be ready and open to receive. God will send the early and latter rain for them, but the person has to receive it as it says in James. Now, when the person receives the wonderful goodness and love of God that He showers upon them, that is when that spark in that seed happens, and it sprouts coming alive. Through prayer, the soil has been cleared of debris and people have been sent to tend to that person and that seed even if you are sent elsewhere. Remember as it says in James, these fruits which represent people are “precious”. God finds that person and His crop precious to Him. Therefore, be a farmer who is an example of leading, guiding, helping, and loving the crops. Always be on watch for those crops and those around you that you are always ready to help tend to them as the Holy Spirit guides you. We are a family in Christ and true family are there for each other.