Sometimes, in our bid as ministers to encourage hard work and eschew laziness from God’s people, we may end up taking some things to the extreme. One of those extremes is represented by the emphasis we lay on Psalms 115:16 (The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men).
While it is important to underscore the authority of man over the earthly realm, we should be careful not to make people think that God is completely without power and influence over the activities on earth. In Deuteronomy 10:14, we see that the heaven, even the heaven of the heavens is the Lord’s, the earth also, with all that is therein.
It therefore follows that God rules over the earth and can do whatsoever pleases him whether humans like it or not. He doesn’t need our permission to come into this atmosphere. He influences times and seasons, growth and yields according to His divine counsel. And none can ask him, what doest thou?
Now, inasmuch as God has given us the earth to till, dress and enjoy the fruit of our labour, we must constantly yield to His divine wisdom to know when, where and how best to sow. The level of increase you’ll receive can be determined by this. Granted you have the liberty to make decisions, but when you submit your will to him, He makes the fruits even better.
An example is seen in Genesis 26. The Lord had instructed Isaac not to move to Egypt but to sojourn in the land of Gerar. Isaac obeyed God although human instinct and wisdom would have counselled him to move to a favourable terrain which at the time was Egypt.
In this land that was unfavourable, the dwellers had been doing their farm work with scarce yield. Isaac came in, applied his farming skills and the Bible tells us in Genesis 26:12 that he harvested a hundredfold yield in the same year that the entire land was experiencing famine. But that’s not all, the Lord BLESSED him. From that point, his material resources and influence grew exponentially to the point that he became mightier than all the Philistines. Isaac’s greatness drew the envy of the people to the point that they had to send him away and illegally seize all his wells.
The question is: Why were the Philistines envious of Isaac? They could have sowed in the same farmland seeing it was theirs. They could have procured the same seeds. They could also get the same flock to rear. If the opportunities were the same or even more for them, why the envy and strife?
The answer is that Isaac sowed out of divine direction from God and got a hundredfold yield. The Philistines sowed and got little or nothing because they simply expended human energy.
Beloved, inasmuch as you are free to choose your job or business, to live where you wish and to sign contracts that align with your human wisdom, it’s always best to submit to God’s divine direction. Whether you remain in Gerar or go to Egypt, as long as God is the one guiding you, the difference will always be clear.
