Is the Seed Still in the Barn?

My grandparents were farmers and one of the greatest joys I had growing up in North Dakota was spending a week on the farm. We would wake up every morning to the smell the sausage sizzling in the kitchen. We didn't eat cereal on the farm. We ate real food. We would help my grandmother milk the cows, gather eggs, and make lunch for the men in the fields which oddly enough included my little brother.

There is so much work to do on a farm but it didn’t matter how busy things got, we never missed church on Sunday. My grandmother served with the ladies auxiliary. It was just a part of who we are. So I have this legacy of faith. Life gets busy, but you still get to church on Sunday. Challenges come. Hail storms, droughts and blizzards blow in, but God remains faithful.

A farmer knows, when you plant a seed in the ground a harvest is coming.

In Haggai 2:19, we hear God speaking:

"I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you."

God is saying, it’s not harvest time. In fact, you haven't even planted your seed. Blessing comes from ME!

Other translations of this verse begin with a question - Is the seed still in the barn? What a great question for the beginning of a new year. Is the seed still in the barn? Are there dreams and hopes in you? Is there untapped potential waiting to be planted?

Now is a good time to get the seed out of the barn and plant it in some fertile ground. Know that God is faithful. Blessing comes from Him.