“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
(1 Corinthians 3:6,7)
I read about a study that was done a few years ago by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of a hundred bushels of corn from one acre of land required 4,000,000 lbs. of water, 6,800 lbs. of oxygen, 5,200 lbs. of carbon, 160 lbs. of nitrogen, 125 lbs. of potassium, 75 lbs. of yellow sulphur, and other elements too numerous to list. In addition to these ingredients are required rain and sunshine at the right times. Of course, many hours of a farmer’s labor was also needed, but it was estimated that only 5 percent of the produce of a farm can be attributed to the efforts of man.
We often think that our efforts make all the difference in the success and blessing in life. Yet, maybe our efforts relates to 5 percent in the success and blessing of farming and business and family life. If it is 5% – that percentage is very necessary and important, for sure. Yet, no matter what the percentage might be – it is the God who is the ultimate “Giver of all good gifts” (James 1:17). As we enjoy our families and friends and full cupboards of food and warm houses and multiplied blessings, let us remember God’s place in all of them. In our church worship, it is God who gave us the gift of fellowship, music to sing, and His Word to preach. It is God who gives us legs to jump and spike, voices to sing and speak, and a heart to laugh and smile. It is God who gives us a promise of forgiveness and friendship through Christ (James 2:23). It is God who gives and gives and then gives some more. Yes, we need to do some planting or some watering in what we do … 5%? But in the end it is God who gives His blessing and makes it grow. Praise be to our Lord!
Pastor Mark
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