Lessons from Farming

After Hurricane Melissa, many foods became scarce as many farms had been destroyed by the strong winds and rain in the area that is considered Jamaica’s breadbasket. Food prices escalated, making it difficult to buy farm produce. Therefore, I decided I would do a little farming and so started creating spaces for planting vegetables. It later expanded to corn, beans and yam. However, creating these spaces to plant was difficult and left me in a lot of pain after I used a machete and a broken shovel to start weeding. I quickly realized that the grass I was trying to remove had roots that were intertwined, making it a challenge for me to dig out. Seeing these roots, I thought of sin. I can’t grow anything good in this area until these pesky plants and their embedded roots are gone, but to get this done was a problem. I believe roots of sin are intertwined like this making it difficult to get rid of them to produce the good fruit which God desires. The devil does not want us to bear good fruit so he will do anything to stop us, including tempting us to sin. Bible Hub states this:

The root of sin is often identified as pride and unbelief. Pride, as seen in both Satan's rebellion and humanity's fall, involves an elevation of self above God. Unbelief, on the other hand, is a failure to trust in God's goodness and truth. Hebrews 3:12 warns, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God."

The root of pride and unbelief can be very dangerous and difficult to get rid of. They are indicative of a wicked heart that fails to trust God and allow the Word of God to be sown and to grow. Pride and unbelief result in us rebelling against God, doing things our way and being self-centered instead of God centered. Just the way the devil wants us to be. They must go for us to be what God wants us to be. Hearts hard as a rock are not good places for growth to take place as seeds cannot take deep roots in rocky soil.

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  Matthew 13:3-6

This has been one of my big problems.  The area where I am trying to plant is rocky so, I have had to get old tires and fill them with dirt so that the vegetables can grow deep roots to withstand the sun and even the strong winds. Jesus explained the spiritual implication of a rocky soil.

The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. Matthew 13:20-21

This is why so many Christians fall away at the least sign of trouble. I was one of those new believers who thought that my life would be much easier when I became a Christian, however it became much harder. Thankfully, I did not fall away quickly, and my roots got to grow in God’s Word even as I faced more challenges in life.

Another problem I have encountered as I try to plant is fertilizer. The same fertilizer that is supposed to aid in growth, killed many of the plants. I am just learning farming techniques and the person who has been helping me to plant told me if the fertilizer got on the roots of the plants, it would kill the seedlings. And so, it did. I have many dead plants around. Those things that are touted to be good for us in life, can also be very dangerous and kill the roots that are to be grounded in Christ. The environment we are in and the people around who seem appealing to us could harm us.

He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20

And not only are the roots of my plants being affected, but there is an insect which I don’t think I have ever seen that is eating my hot pepper and sweet pepper leaves, and even their stems. It is tiring waking up to my labor being eaten.

He gave also their crops to the grasshopper and the product of their labor to the locust. Psalm 78:46

I armed myself with vinegar, water and peppermint oil to make the leaves distasteful to insects. But they withered the leaves although I diluted the mixture as instructed. The slug bait I scattered was washed away as rain came unexpectedly after. These insects and slugs are like the devil who wants to devour and destroy us. So, we must be on alert and make sure we have the undiluted Word of God because in this case any mixture with the Word can be harmful. For now, I continue planting and watering, praying that God will bring the increase while I learn the lessons He is teaching me from farming.