Jul 02
The timing is not good!
He who observes the wind will not sow… Eccl. 11:4a
The man described in this verse can never find a good time to sow because the wind is blowing. If he sows today, the wind will blow the seed where he did not intend it. Therefore, he should wait for the wind to die down.
Frequently, we, like this man, don’t start new projects because of what might happen. We cannot be certain that our “sowing” will work out the way we have planned. So, we do nothing because something might go wrong. The timing is not quite right. Why? We don’t really know. It just doesn’t “feel” right.
At the root of this behavior and view of life is an erroneous belief that all of our success depends on us. God, who controls the conditions or circumstances, cannot be trusted. Our unbelief prevents us from launching out on the new venture that God has put into our hearts.
…and he who regards the clouds will not reap. Eccl. 11:4b
If you talk to enough people, you will soon discover that there is never a “good” time to make any change. You can ALWAYS find dark clouds that might soon empty themselves.
People are always talking about the surrounding economic conditions and using it as a justification for inaction. “Well, what’s the market like?” “I’ve heard that we are going into a recession.”
However, if we look, there are always people who prosper during adverse economic conditions. Microsoft was launched in the midst of terrible economic conditions during Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Fabulous marriages are being both started and enjoyed right now even though many segments of our culture have accepted and even applaud immorality and divorce.
We also have many examples of people going bankrupt in the midst of a booming economy. There was a time when our culture held marriage in very high esteem yet marriages still failed.
We should be aware of our circumstances and the season that we live in. However, we should not make them our god. The environment doesn’t determine either our success or failure.
If we find ourselves endlessly observing the wind or regarding the clouds, we might do well to question ourselves. We shouldn’t be surprised if we find that the root of all our much “observing” is not “wisdom” but rather fear.
Change represents the unknown. Although the present conditions might be unbearable, we frequently prefer to remain in them rather than face the fear of making a mistake and the uncertainty of change.
Is it really better to live as a slave in Egypt than to venture out into the unknown trusting in the God of heaven to lead us into the land that He has marked out for us?