They say a promise is a comfort to a fool. I have had those moments before but then, I read today’s Holy Nougat and I know that I am no fool, because God has proven faithful before.
“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”” Genesis 8:22 NLT
Between wars, climate change, economic crises and criminal activity; many of us are not fully sure about the Truth of God’s promises. Especially the one we’re reading now. Yet, in a very real sense, even as the Elon Musks of this word seek life in outer space, this promise remains visible and evident in our lives.
Just think – we are being warned, but the earth still remains. And yes, we have an obligation to care for it. Presently, we are facing famine and drought, fires and floods, earthquakes and volcanoes; causing many to be discouraged. But God remains in control, has already proven, currently proves, and will continue to prove that God keeps God’s Word.
How, you ask.
I’m so glad you did.
Reflect with me for a bit on ‘modern’ History. Particularly the last century. We may recall that there have been wars, of somewhat global proportions; but while the earth remained, and it did, God’s promises remained: planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night all continued, albeit at a slower pace. And, in some instances, in new locales.
Our challenge has not been so much about if there’s been planting and reaping as it has been about who is planting, what is being planting and where and how it’s been planted. Some would even ask why it’s planted. History, modern History in fact, chronicles stories of genetically modified and engineered foods; and that has been hailed as something good. But if the GMOs have an adverse effect on us, is that the seed time (planting season) that God’s promise reflects?
I think not
Rather, I believe that God’s promise of food security invites us to be our siblings’ keeper as led by God’s Spirit. The promise was given in an era of hunter-gatherers, that is, people who lived off the land in very basic ways. Some communities had evolved a bit, but generally it was either peaceful coexistence or clashes over land and water access. And where there was either occurrence, people were obliged to share with each other.
Cycles of codependent planting and reaping continue these days, and I’m not speaking only about international trade. There are still communities with gardens that feed the locals, providing for families and individuals in need. Cycles of creative planting continue, with persons growing crops in small containers, especially in cities or land-strapped places. And, in some spaces, there are Gideons – planting in secret, for fear of being seen (read more in Judges 6).
The God who celebrated and rewarded Gideon’s creativity is the God Who still is with us. With the drought that scorches everything, we have also to be creative. For planting and reaping will continue. Despite modifications that destroy the soil, despite land mines that facilitate death traps amidst previously arable land, God’s promise remains true. There will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, as long as earth remains.
Pinky promise?
No
God’s covenantal promise.
Thanks be to God
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May all we seek be found in Christ
