“Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don't know if profit will come from one activity or another--or maybe both.”
- Ecclesiastes 11:6
Ecclesiastes 11 discusses the uncertainties of life. Sometimes we put in effort into our work and it is not easy to predict whether or not fruits of the labour will come. The passage encourages the reader to 'divide your investments among many places for you do not know what risks may lie ahead'. It also mentions how if farmers were to wait for perfect weather, things would never get planted and there would be no harvest.
Because of uncertainties in life, it is better to just forge ahead in our work, to diversify where we put our efforts, and be patient as we continue working. Do not be afraid to start your work, a new project, or a new path. That day with the perfect conditions may never arrive, so do the best you can and commence.
This passage brings a sense of realism that not everything that we work on will have the results we want, but it also provides hope that sometimes there is success already in the making and we just have to persist and persevere through uncertainties. Accept the unknown and the imperfect conditions, and continue working and hoping, because there maybe good things that will yield from your efforts if you continue your hard work.
Reflection: Are there things you have been waiting for the perfect conditions to start but the day just never seems to come? Pray to God for wisdom and the ability to find the best possible moment to start and start, even if it is not 100% perfect. And are there things you have been working on for a long time but there seems to be no success? Pray to God for guidance and persistence, and wisdom to know when to move on, when to diversify, and when to remain steadfast and persevere.
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This insightful article was written for Christian Calm Radio by Karyn Lau. Listen to all Christian worship music and Christian instrumental music when you join Christian Calm Radio.