Lev 25:20 And if you say, 'What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?'
Lev 25:21 I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years.
Lev 25:22 When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating some of the old crop; you shall eat the old until the ninth year, when its crop arrives.
It is so like us to want to worry about how God will provide for us if we obey Him. Because it does not make any sense to follow after God if He says to not sow or gather, how will we be able to eat any food. That is rediculous. But God knows are arguements against His ways and in this He will provide a sufficient amount of food, not only for the year that they stop planting and harvesting but until after they have planted and waited a year for the fruit of the land to come in.
That is an incredible promise. But also one that requires of them self-restraint to not just eat all of the surplus, but to save it in order to let the land rest. Because if they do just sell it or devour it they will not be able to let the land rest. It is to see the abundance as provision to accomplish His will rather than to just have a momentary gain for that particular harvest.
It is like He is saying to the Israelites, don't come up with excuses. I will provide in order for you to obey me, but you must be purposeful in your life and how you conduct yourself. It will not be easy to let the land rest, but if you do I will provide for I am the Lord your God. And if you do you will be blessed.
So much of where we live today is that it can be easy to just live according to our selfishness. Just like the Israelites we can think not how we can honor the Lord, but how much can I get away with. He is not really serious here. Just be gracious to me, I don't have to honor your ways.
And while we are not depedent upon our obedience because of the grace of Jesus Christ, His desire is that we still honor, love and cherish Him. That we not just camp on the fact that we have grace, but that we use this grace to move toward God. That we use His grace to show honor, love and cherish Him. And our obedience is not rediculous, but life. We can be totally sustained in our obedience to Him. It may not be totally physical needs being met, but spiritually, emotionally as well. His grace is sufficient for us. And in our obedience toward Him we will never lose out on any type of personal gain, but our gain will be fully for Him.
Father, help me move toward your obedience and honor of you. I often feel that my ways are better or that I don't have to fulfill the will that you have called me toward. I can procrastinate or avoid your will. Father, help me to engage lost students where they are at. Help me to obey according to your Holy Spirit that you have placed in me. That in you I may fulfill your will. Amen.
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