Psalm 126
I take walks at the local State Park when I can and today I was struck by the beauty of the various wildflowers that just appear each spring. I assume that they are neither planted not cared for, yet the earth and the rain and the sun bring them forth every year like clockwork. I know this is only possible because of the world that God has created and I marvel at its intricacies and its beauties.
While I do marvel I was also reminded that the same earth and sun and rain can sometimes bring death and destruction to the world as well. I walked the trails over lunch, so I had a particular timeframe in which to walk and finish, because of that I decided that when I got to a particular area I would take a left turn and climb the 80 steps [yes I have counted] up from the riverbank instead of continuing on the trail for another half mile or so. When I got to that point in my walk I was confronted with a massive area of mud and fallen trees and limbs. We have had several days of storms recently, and here I was witnessing the midpoint in the clean up. I still wanted to take my short-cut so I made my way through the mud, only slipping a little bit twice.
I mention all of that to make the following point, sometimes the world takes care of it self, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the flowers bloom through no work of our own, but often if we want something to bloom, or to harvest, we have to put in the work. Most times the trees grow through no real work of our own, but should the storm come there will be work to do. I say this because the Psalm ends with a request that those who go out with "seeds for sowing" will come back "carrying their sheaves" and while it is right and good to ask for such a blessing we must keep in mind that often the only way that we are blessed is if we do the work required for the blessing.
+ Do you pray and hope that God will come through, or when possible do you pray and then work your way through the request?
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