Whoever watches the wind will not plant. Ecclesiastes 11:4, NIV.
Driving home from Grand Forks, North Dakota, we crossed the Red River of the North and continued on Highway 2 toward home. Looking out on the rich black, fertile ground of the fields, we were reminded that this is the season to plant the crops. Farmers were busily working the ground and seeding in preparation for a harvest to come. It was a joy to observe.
However, there was an element that did not bode well for the coming weeks. We are in the midst of a drought. The winter snows had been minimal so did not add to the needed moisture. With no rain yet this spring, it takes a large amount of faith for farmers to invest thousands of dollars into planting seeds with the anticipation they will grow and produce a harvest. A strong wind was blowing, depleting the soil of what little moisture there was. Clouds of black dirt were flying through the air. In fact, the amount of dirt in the air made it difficult for the farmers to see, and we had trouble seeing where the tractors and machinery were. Every farmer dreads seeing his soil blown about by the wind. For a farmer this is the time when faith becomes their strength and gives them the courage to go into the fields and sow. It is a time to recall this verse: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22, NIV). Trusting, praying, and believing, a farmer goes to the fields every spring and seeds his crop. Some years the harvest season does not bring a good harvest because of the lack of rain, hail, winds, or insects that come and eat the plants. Extreme heat and freezing temperatures late in the spring or too early in the fall all contribute to a loss of hoped-for yields. The loss of needed revenue from the small or non-existent harvest brings hardships upon the families. In addition, there is less food to feed the people of the world. Yet, year after the year the farmer remains optimistic . . . planting and praying for rain and temperatures that will enable a bountiful harvest. Farmers look to their harvest for their yearly paycheck that will carry them through another year.
As with the farmers, we also endure the winds that batter us and beat upon our families. There are windstorms that threaten our health and cause pain and suffering. Through it all, if we trust in the Lord, He will lead us through to a place where we have peace and comfort.
Evelyn Glass
First published in Notes of Joy (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press), 2018.
Carolyn R. Sutton, editor
