A time to plant and a time to uproot Ecclesiastes 3:2
Gardening is always fascinating to me. This time of the year I enjoy the fruit of the labors of many gardeners. Ripe tomatoes make any meal go better. Radishes are some of the first fruits of the spring garden. They take only about one month to get ready for a veggie plate. If one plants asparagus it will be four to five years before you get an editable veggie.
Many of us are restless and impatient when it comes to planting and harvesting. We like the radishes and lettuce that grow up quickly and are ready to eat in one month. These are the ones is our churches who are concerned with getting fruit at the expense of patience.
Many in our churches are interested in getting on with the fruit and have little patience with those who are carefully challenging them to think and study. Old ideas seem to be easier to hold on to than the challenges to study to show yourself approved by God. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were satisfied that their understanding of scripture was right and they refuse to be challenged by our Lord.
Today we are faced with new challenges to the truth of God. We can sit back and throw rotten tomatoes or we can get into the fight and live as no other and think as God would have us think. We can find safety in old forms and patterns or we can study again the mighty truth of God and learn His will for us. We can find our garden full of radishes and weeds and have no abiding fruit for the masters’ table.
We must return to the principles of divine truth and teach them in their contexts if we are to have an active and dynamic faith. Now is the time for us to sow and water and pray that the Lord of harvest will give the increase. It is time to plant!