Devotions From The FarmhouseSample

It’s Never in Vain

Some days, Jake loved farming. There was no better feeling than looking out over his fields right before harvest. Leafy green corn stalks towered higher than his head. The tomato plants were so loaded that he’d had to tie them to stakes to keep them from toppling over. There was a deep satisfaction in seeing the evidence of his labors, in enjoying fresh-from-the-field corn on the cob and ripe juicy slices of tomato with his dinner. Those were the good days. But some years, it was anything but good. Those were the times when late frosts killed the strawberry plants, when the rains didn’t come and the crops dried up, and when the locusts and other pests ate his profits right off the plants. Those were the days when he considered quitting. Times when he wondered why he did what he did. Sometimes it’s the same way spiritually. It’s a pleasure serving Jesus when everything is going well, when the blessings are plentiful, and life is easy. But when hard times come, when discouragement sets in, and our finances dry up, we consider quitting. We wander away from what was once precious to us. But just as a love for farming is in the blood of the farmer and that keeps him going year after year, we must remain steadfast because of the One who loved us enough to shed his blood for us. Whatever we do for Jesus will never be in vain.

Lord, encourage my heart when tough days come. Help me to serve you in good times and in bad.