Don't Miss the Moment: A 5 Day Guide to Embracing God's PlanSample

Biblical days were days of planting, farming, seed time, and harvest. An agricultural society depended on the land. This is why the bulk of the Old Testament was about the owning and occupying of a territory. Wars were fought over land. It was left as an inheritance for generation after generation. Without land you had no place to build your house, plant your seeds, grow your crops, or raise your livestock to graze. Land was important.

But it was equally important to have someone work the land. In Genesis, God noticed there was no man to “till” the ground (Gen. 2:5 kjv). The word till means to manage, prepare, or make ready. When God placed Adam in the garden, this was Adam’s moment to manage. The garden was Adam’s field. Similarly, David was assigned the task of caring for his father’s sheep and spent much of his time out in the field. There, he managed the flock, protecting them from predators, making sure they were fed and watered, and keeping them healthy so they could make their contribution to his father’s household. In the stories of both Adam and David, their field experiences would prove pivotal to their purpose. For Adam, his care for the ground led to God’s entrusting him with the care of Eve and the first family; and for David, his experience defending the sheep gave him the skills and confidence to defeat Goliath and step into a new stage of life. Their fields were places God used to grow, test, and prove them.

Whether we know it or not, we all will have certain seasons when we will be required to develop in certain fields. Don’t underestimate the tiniest job you are doing. Just as the fields were pivotal to Adam’s and David’s purposes, they will be equally crucial to yours.

The field is a place of sweat and labor, full of moments to grow and prove us. It’s not a place to be lazy. At the same time, the field can itself be a moment. It represents opportunity, service, and assignment. Just as our faith is given to us in measure, so is our field. It is our responsibility to care for and nurture that field, no matter how small it may start out.