Today’s Word Is PROPER

At the conclusion of the sermon, the worshipers filed out of the sanctuary to greet the minister. As one of them left, he shook the minister’s hand, thanked him for the sermon and said, “Thanks for the message, Reverend. You know, you must be smarter than Einstein.” Beaming with pride, the minister said, “Why, thank you, brother!”

As the week went by, the minister began to think about the man’s compliment. The more he thought, the more he became baffled as to why anyone would deem him smarter than Einstein. So, he decided to ask the man the following Sunday.

The next Sunday he asked the parishioner if he remembered the previous Sunday’s comment about the sermon. The parishioner replied that he did. The minister asked: “Exactly what did you mean that I must be smarter than Einstein?”

The man replied, “Well, Reverend, they say that Einstein was so smart that only ten people in the entire world could understand him, but I’m pretty sure that for you, it would be less than that.”

Hmmmm … I hope that doesn’t apply to me! Although, I have wondered at times if what I was saying made sense!

And now for the verse of the day …

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

In the world of gardening, there is a certain predictability to planting a certain type of seed and knowing how long it will take to break the ground and become fruitful.

In the kingdom, seeds are being planted as well. We invest in the lives of people by “doing good.” These words and acts of kindness are like planting seeds of faith, hope, love, and joy into the lives of people. The reason we don’t want to give up on someone is because it is not predictable how long it will take the seed to sprout and grow. Everyone has a timetable that only God knows.

After planting some seed corn, there is a “proper time” for a green blade of the soon-to-be cornstalk to break the surface of the ground. Depending on the outdoor temperature, it could take anywhere from 5-14 days. If it has been two months since you planted it … well … it’s not going to happen.

In the natural world, we can know the “proper time.” In the spiritual world, God knows.

So … as for the people we invest in by planting seeds, we cannot give up, because only God knows why it is taking longer than we had hoped. A friend of mine tells the story of his 88-year old father coming to the Lord after decades of prayer by various family members. Now he is thankful he continued to pray and wait, never giving up.

Of course, we should not assume that this verse is only about salvation issues. It is about many, many things. It is about the next breakthrough in the life of a family member … or the success of the ministry you are involved in at your church … or the accomplishment of a vision that God has laid on your life … or the lifting of a burden that is causing great sacrifice and hardship. Do not let yourself become weary. There is a “proper time” in which the Lord does all things.

And so, it is that a “proper time” has arrived for me. The adventure of writing daily devotions has been a fulfilling journey for me. I thought I would be doing this for years to come, or at least that was my plan. But the Lord has something new in mind for me, though I am not fully aware of what it is.

I pray that something I have shared of the Gospel and of myself has touched your life and moved you forward in your faith … or perhaps even helped to launch your journey of faith in Christ. I thank you for your comments and encouragement.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face to shine upon you,
And be gracious unto you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark