This morning I was reminded of a story I once heard told by Kenneth E. Hagin.
As they story goes…there were two men who had lands that they farmed. They had each borrowed money from a wealthy person in their city to purchase the lands. At the end of each year of harvest, they paid on their debt to the man who had loaned them money to purchase their land.
One year, a famine hit their area and they were unable to harvest any crops that year, therefore they were unable to pay the debt they owed for that year. The lender told them he would work with them and they could catch up with next year’s harvest.
The second year, the same thing happened, famine hit the area and there was no rain, therefore no crops grew leading to, once again, no harvest. Again, the man was patient with them and said he would work with them.
The third year the same thing happened, famine, no crop, and no harvest, therefore no payment on their loan. They were now three years behind. Even if they had a crop come in the following year it would be extremely difficult for them to catch up.
At the beginning of the fourth year of planting, one man gave up. He refused to sow seed, he knew even if he had a good crop, he could not catch up. He decided he had already lost his land, so why try. He didn’t prepare the fields. He didn’t plant seed. He didn’t do any work on his farm. In his mind, it was over, so why take good care of a farm that would belong to someone else.
The other man who owed the man money for his farm, land did things differently. He got up each morning and worked on his farm. He made sure the grounds were well kept. He made ready his fields. He prepared his seed for sowing. He made sure the tilling was done. He sowed his seed and watered it daily. He got up each day and worked as if he was expecting the best harvest of his life.
What happened?
One day, the lender visited each farm. When he arrived at the first farm, he saw the man was not working his land, he repossessed the land and put the man off the property,
When he visited the second man, and saw how he was working on the land, he didn’t take his land, instead he gave him the title deed to the property.
What was the difference? The only difference is one continued to do the work, to do all he knew to do. The other man gave up and stopped preparing the field, stopped sowing and stopped working his land.
Same circumstances, same famine, same debt, different response.
James 1:22 tells us that we must be doers of the word of God and not hearers only.
In other words, we must continue working the word into our lives and our hearts and doing what it says if we want to see the promises of God come to pass in our life. Especially when it is the most difficult.
James 1:7 says if we begin to trust God and His word and then waver, we will receive NOTHING from the Lord.
We cannot quit! There is never a time to quit. It is not over until God says it is over. I do not care what it looks like, until we receive the promise it is not over.
Our faith in God’s word is the title deed to what we are believing for. If we want to receive that thing, that promise, then we must stand firm in faith to the end.
It doesn’t matter if famine comes. It doesn’t matter if symptoms come. It doesn’t matter if it looks like you will never have a breakthrough. All that matters is what God’s word says about your situation.
If you stand firm on the word of God, it will not return void. It’s HIS promise, however, it is entirely up to you to stand firm on God’s word. Only you can decide.
Today, it is vital to stand firm on His word. It will not fail. This is the time to remain faithful, just like the man in the story. Your harvest is not up to the world system – it is up to you and God.
Galatians 6:7 says, “Make no mistake about it, God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest.”
Keep planting the word of God. Keep applying your faith. You will reap the very thing you are planting. Never give up.
