The temptation to go for the quick fix is nothing new. But it is certainly heightened in our day. We put a premium on rapid solutions. We have become accustomed to buying and selling with the click of a button. In such a climate, we must be aware of God’s standard pattern for growth. His normal way is little by little. He made Israel gather just enough manna for the day, any more would spoil. Christ teaches us to pray each day for daily bread. God told Israel that He would drive out the nations before them “little by little,” and this for good reason, so that the beasts of the field would not increase upon them.
We often want things the other way around. We would like to ask the Lord one day a year for yearly bread, or, better yet, once in a lifetime for life-long bread. We want to see the Philistines driven out in one battle. And you shouldn’t put it past us to try our hand at alchemy because turning base metals into gold seems to be easier and faster than working hard to earn the gold.
But Proverbs says, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: But he that gathereth by labour shall increase” (Proverbs 13:11).
We have a tendency to overestimate what can be done in one year, and to underestimate what can be done in twenty. So whatever field you are currently cultivating, be sure to do so with a steady hand, with patience and resolve. Don’t cut corners. Don’t give into envy or covetousness. Don’t despair when the wheat doesn’t pop out of the ground the day after your sowed the seed. The Lord calls you to labor with Him, and you must do so being steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Jared Longshore – January 14, 2024
