Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9
We always liked to plant radishes in the garden. This is not because we all enjoyed them so much, although we did like them. But, radishes were particularly welcome because they sprang up only a few days after the seeds were planted. Their little sprouts popping out of the soil was our promise that the garden was going to grow. In contrast, some of the crops were slow to appear; we might not see the tops of the potato plants for a month. But as long as we had radishes, we had a garden, and we knew the peas and beans and carrots were eventually going to appear and provide us with our vegetables. Today’s text is one of the Bible’s radishes: a wonderful promise of a reward for faithful service in God’s garden.
It’s often hard to keep plugging away at something when we don’t see any results. Preachers must feel discouraged when no interest is evident after weeks into a Gospel series. Parents can grow weary after seeing no interest in the things of God among their children. Assembly elders might grow weary after seeing one after another of those in fellowship wander off into the denominations. And yet our text reminds us that reaping is a sure thing as long as we keep at it, as long as the weariness does not overcome us. The time of planting and the time of reaping are always separated by a time of waiting. And the best way to kill the time of waiting is to work it to death. Preach and pray and plug away, we are told.
Just as a farmer who plants his crops does not sit idle waiting for the crops to be ready for harvest, neither should we slump when God’s garden needs tending. A farmer might water his crops in times of dry weather… so we should water our spiritual crops with the Word of God, and with prayer. A farmer might dig out weeds and cultivate the soil around the plants… we can do that in our spiritual with our faithful attention to holy living and faithful witnessing.
The best of farmers cannot guarantee a good crop. But the Child of God has just such a guarantee in our wonderful radish text. Let us not be weary. -Jim MacIntosh