The Off-Season
Have you ever re-read a familiar passage of Scripture and seen something brand new? This happened to me last week as I was reading in Proverbs. I have read this verse many times, but this time it grabbed and held my attention.
The lazy man does not plow when the winter [planting] season arrives; so he begs at the [next] harvest and has nothing [to reap].
Proverbs 20:4 (AMP)
This verse talks about the consequences of laziness during the off-season. Long, dark, and cold winter days are not especially motivating. Cozying up to the fire, with a blanket, a mug, and a book, sounds much nicer. However, neglecting work during the off-season can lead to a disappointing growing season and an unfruitful harvest.
Some places do not have a winter planting season, but Houston does. Avid gardeners are busy throughout the year. Around here, there is always work to be done in the garden, and neglecting that work results in unfruitfulness. The plants that thrive during our winter must be changed out before the extreme summer heat and humidity arrive in full force. And Texas vegetable growers know they will not pull a good carrot out of the ground in August, nor pick a crisp cucumber in February. Between seasons, there are beds to be cleaned out, compost to spread, and weeding to be done. Jesus told the disciples a parable about this principle.
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Luke 13:6-9 (NIV)
This parable makes me question what the vinedresser had been doing. He was supposed to be taking care of the plants. The owner counted on the vinedresser to prune, dig, fertilize, and ultimately to keep the vineyard producing fruit. Pruning removes the dead and unhealthy parts, digging breaks up hard ground so soil can soak up the rain, and fertilizing adds nutrients for strength and fruitfulness. Evidently, the vinedresser had not given proper attention to the fig tree. He asked the owner for more time so he could attend to its needs and, hopefully, encourage it to bear fruit.
The lesson I see in this Proverb and this parable is that there is no off-season. Elite athletes, for example, do not stop working once their scheduled games are played. Michael Jordon was not a couch potato during his off-season, training and practicing only during basketball season. No matter the season, there is work to do. Though the pruning, digging, and fertilizing work of winter may not be as dazzling as planting colorful flowers or harvesting tasty vegetables, it is critical to the future health of the garden.
Psalm 1 says that a righteous person “is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (Ps. 1:3 NIV). If we are like trees, then our lives are like the garden, and there truly is no off-season. During the dark, winter days, while we wait in hope for a new season to arrive, there is still work to do. There is pruning to be done whereby we repent and throw off unproductive habits, things that impede our fruitfulness, and things that have withered but are still attached to us. There is also digging, breaking up the hard ground and our hardened hearts by praising the Lord in worship and thanksgiving. And there is fertilizing that comes from receiving the word of God by reading the Scriptures and allowing the Holy Spirit to breathe His life into us. Neglect in any of these areas leaves us unprepared for our next season of harvest.
After the flood waters had completely dried, God spoke this promise to Noah: “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22 AMP). Though the days may be bleak, and there is no fruit in sight, continue to be diligent in preparing the field of your heart during the off-season. Our Master desires fruitfulness. I pray that, if you are in a winter season, your hope is renewed and you are encouraged to dive deeper into the Word and spend time in prayer, preparing the garden of your heart for the future spring, summer, and harvest seasons God has planned for you. God has promised that harvest time will surely come!