Monday, October 27, 2008

My Vinedresser


"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." – James 1:4 (NKJV)

In the biblical tradition, a vinedresser is the keeper of the vineyard or the watchman over the field. His responsibilities seem to fall only during spring and harvest when he can be seen pruning the vines, planting seeds for new vines or reaping the crops. The remaining part of the year, the vinedresser will busy himself clearing a neighbor's rocky field or helping to build a new house in the village. The vinedresser could worry about pestilence, droughts, famine, or the scorching hot east winds, but he knows that God controls those events.

Does this mean that in the off season the vinedresser does not care for his field? No. He has learned the secret of patience. He has done his task; now the power of God, through nature, will bring the crops to fruition. The vinedresser realizes the invaluable secret: "let go and let God."

Jesus taught that we should be like the patient vinedresser. We should not be negative, worrying about events and circumstances beyond our control. Jesus encouraged us to understand that God sees the end from the beginning. The vinedresser’s trust in The Vinedresser is rewarded at harvest. Jesus described a similar reward in the parable of the soils—"some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:8).

May God grant us the wisdom to know when to plant and when to sow; when to hold on and when to let go; when to undertake new tasks and how to let God bring them to completion; and the knowledge to make the right decisions with dignity!

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Sometimes, God, I get impatient waiting for You to finish what I’ve started. Help me to let go and trust You for the outcome. Amen.

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Do your part and let God take care of the rest.