Jump Start # 648

Haggai 2:19 “Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”

Haggai is that little prophetic book that separates the two “Z” books—Zephaniah and Zechariah. Our passage is found at the end of hard times. Better days were coming. This had nothing to do with elections, weather, economy or an end of war, but rather, God’s renewed blessings. There was a period of time in which the harvest would not be much. God was withholding His hand upon the people. Punishing them for wrong ways. It would not be a perpetual punishment. The blessings would restore, especially with the coming of Christ. Salvation was the hope.

The expression found in our verse today is a great question, “Is the seed still in the barn?” Now I’ll admit that I do not know much about farming. This hot, dry season destroyed by few tomatoes. But I do know that if the seed stays in the barn, there won’t be any harvesting. Seeds must get into the ground for any good to happen. A farmer could have the best of equipment, including the finest and newest tractor, a massive planter and the best of everything, but if the seed stays in the barn, there won’t be a harvest. The farmer can buy the best seeds, read up about the latest technology in farming, study weather forecasts and talk all day about farming, but if the seed stays in the barn, there will not be a harvest. The farmer could have the best season for farming, rain at the right time, mild summer and just ideal weather, but if the seed stays in the barn there won’t be a harvest.

There is a principle here that I hope you see. The seed has to get into the ground. If the farmer is lazy, too tired, doesn’t feel like it, or simply doesn’t want to do it, there won’t be a harvest. The seed doesn’t do any good sitting in a store, a seed bag or in the barn. For a harvest, the seed must get into the ground. It’s that simple. That’s true whether you are talking about flower seeds, watermelon seeds, corn seeds, or the word of God—called a seed by Jesus in Matthew 13. The sower sowed the seed. It didn’t stay in the barn.

Consider some applications:

1. The seed of good intentions must get in the ground. Many of us think of great things to do. There is a family that’s visiting and a call might encourage them. There is someone in the hospital that we could visit. There are some folks that we could invite over to our home. There is a new neighbor that I could invite to services. So much to do. I have found that there is never a time when there is nothing that could be done. Yet, good intentions are like seeds. If they stay in our heads and we do little about them, the seed remains in the barn. Like the farmer, it takes effort, work and time on our part. The farmer that can’t pull himself away from the TV will be a poor man because he will not harvest unless he spends the time to get the seed into the ground.

2. The seed of teaching God’s word. There are so many wonderful ways of doing that these days. It’s really become easier and there are so many tools available to do that. One way is simple to bring the subject up. Invite someone to worship services. Ask someone if they have looked that up in the Bible. There are sermon CD’s on specific topics that could be shared with others. There are bulletin articles, even these Jump Starts, that could be given to someone. Do you know when most people think about death, the hereafter, and Heaven? When they come home from a funeral. It’s on their mind. Do you know when most people think about suffering and where is God? When they are in the hospital. So much good can be done, but the seed must get out of the barn. It’s not our job to convert, God will do that. Our job is to get the seed into the good and honest heart. Far too many places talk about the seed, study ways of getting the seed in the ground, discuss different soil types, best methods of planting, what worked long ago and what works today, but they do so little in actually getting the seed in the ground. The seed in the barn will not bring a harvest.

3. The seed of a good word. Encouragement is like oxygen to our souls. We need it. Not false flattery. Not rehearsed and unfelt praise, but genuine encouragement. Young people need that. They get beat up for listening to the wrong music, wearing the wrong clothes, going to the wrong movies and having the wrong friends. You’d think that they couldn’t do anything right. But there they are on a Sunday morning, with Bibles in their hands. They are trying. Give them a good word. Build them up, not shoot them down. Don’t forget the leadership—the elders and preachers and busy deacons. They do so much and often few know about it. The death of young preachers is harsh criticism that some think will help them out. All it does is pushes more to quitting. Encourage comes in nice words, small gifts, a pat on the back, telling others about the good they are doing.

There are more but this will get you started in your thinking. Good intentions…the word of God…encouragement—each only good if put into service. Get the seed out of the barn!

Roger