Do You Trust Me?

Leviticus 25:21

"Then I will command my blessing upon you 

in the sixth year, and it shall bring 

forth fruit for three years." 

        Every seven years in the land of Israel, God asks this question: Do you trust me? Hopefully, the answer is, "Yes!" Yes, Lord, we trust You. We believe in You and believe that You run the world. Then comes the real challenge. God says: Prove it!

        Today we learn about the laws of the sabbatical year. There is a seven-year cycle in which farmers may work their land for six years, but during the seventh year, the land must rest. Farmers cannot sow seeds or reap the harvest for an entire year. Now to put this into perspective, let’s imagine that every seven years, we were commanded to march into work and announce that we would be taking the year off. We’re not talking about a paid sabbatical; we’re talking about simply quitting our jobs for the year while living the same lifestyle that we have always maintained. At the conclusion of the year, we would fully expect to get our old jobs back, or to get another one that was even better. That would be some act of faith. And that is exactly the kind of faith that God demands of Israel on every seventh year, even today. In the natural world, this kind of business practice would set a person up for bankruptcy. But God promises, "Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years." If we demonstrate our faith in God, then what should lead us to insufficiency, will instead lead us into abundance and blessing.
        You see, God wants us to know that He’s got our backs. It’s not the fluctuations of the stock market or the luck of the real estate market that will determine our blessings. It’s not our clever ideas or working overtime that will yield promotions. God alone will deliver abundance and blessings in our lives. Sure, we’ve got to put in our effort and do our part, but the heavy lifting is God’s doing. 
        At the end of the day, it’s not the land that needs the rest; we need it! We need to stop worrying ourselves sick about how we’ll get by next week or in the next 20 years. We need to stop working so hard at making a living that we neglect to make a life. We need to trust in the Lord and step out in faith. As it says in Jeremiah, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."

        Amen!

Reading: (Lev. 25:1-24)

Ref: (HG SB)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry