He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
2nd Corinthians 9:10
The Bible is absolutely full of references to agriculture, farming, ranching, and a general appreciation for those who tend the land. This is not hard to understand when you realize that most people in the Biblical world were involved in agriculture, in some form or another. Most people kept stock at home to provide milk, meat, or clothing. Even manure was needed to fertilize the ground for those who planted crops. History tells us that across the Roman Empire (which included the region of Judea), 70 to 90 percent of the population was involved in agriculture. When we recognize the magnitude of the influence the land and livestock had on the people of that time, we can better understand why Jesus and his followers made frequent reference to this aspect of creation.
Did you know that less than 2 percent of the U.S. population is involved in farming or ranching these days? That means that less than 2 percent of our citizens support the other 98 percent with their labor! The other side to that coin is that many of us have been raised without an appreciation for the land or the animals from which we derive our food or care. We have become a consumerist population without any concept of the cost of consumption. When we lose focus on the creation itself and on the effort it takes to shepherd and care for God’s gift to us, we fall into a trap of our own making. God did indeed tell us to enjoy the fruits of our labor (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20), but he also calls us to be good stewards of the land (Genesis 2:15), to be appreciative of what God has given us. It is harder to do these days because we are so removed from others’ labor. None of us knows what it means to be drug behind a plow of a horse in the heat of the summer. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still be appreciative of the Lord’s efforts and others’ labors. It also means that we must be stewards of the inheritance of creation we have received from our heavenly Father.
Our lives, loved ones, and worldly wealth are not mere tokens of our achievement; in fact, they are all gifts God has given us. We are now called to be the farmhands, the ranchers, the stewards of this great gift.
We still put our hands to the plow in our own lives to bring about a harvest that is glorifying unto Christ Jesus. To do so is an act of worship; to neglect such work is to neglect the very demand of the Almighty.
Please take this into consideration, as I learned it from a member of the church. Did you know that at the peak of their population, American Bison numbered more than 60 million? By 1898, after rampant hunting driven by the industrial revolution, fewer than 600 remained on private land preserves. When we decide to live this life without appreciation for what God gives us, we become gluttonous and selfish feasters upon the creation of our Lord. And it is the creation that suffers, as well as those around us. We must embrace the task of becoming good stewards of all that God has entrusted us, not just monetarily, but also with everything else.
By the way, there are currently 500,000 Bison roaming in private herds across the U.S. This was accomplished through tireless efforts by those who sought to preserve one of God’s most interesting creatures. Imagine what you can do with your gifts when it comes to giving back to the Lord?
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Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield, TX
ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston, TX
