Farm Life – Simple Living

You may be wondering what building a boat has to do with living on a farm. I’m guessing Noah was thinking the same thing. But, building the ark had some interesting effects on Noah’s life that we can learn from.

Purpose:

How many of us wake up each morning wondering what our purpose is in life? Wondering if at the end of it all, will there be a story to tell? Like Noah, many people wander through life with their little flock of sheep, struggling just to get through another day. Struggling to keep up in a world which is constantly telling them that they are not good enough. That’s a pretty sad way to live, but yet is how many of us really feel if we are honest.

This isn’t the life of abundance which God promises. Yet many are so caught up in the idea that money, wealth, power and possessions are what determines quality of life. How many big name preachers can you count, who strut around wearing the biggest gold watch they can find? This is supposed to measure success, or worse yet great faith… that you can buy the biggest watch, so you don’t ever forget your life is growing shorter with each tick of the clock! That you have a fancy house/car/clothes while there are people around you dying for lack of food… That is supposed to be success?

What if we change our focus? The day God spoke to Noah, his entire life outlook changed. Noah now had purpose. Build a boat, to protect your family…or you and them will die! What a wake up call. If we are honest with ourselves, how many of us would sell our most precious possessions if it meant living one more day? How much is that fancy watch worth on that day? It might buy a very fancy casket!

Noah no longer had the option to wander through life. He had a calling from God. Build a boat so you and your family can live. He had a purpose… take care of your family. What if our purpose was that simple? Take care of your flock, and after that, try and take care of those around you. How do you do that? Focus your attention on providing for their needs… physically, financially, spiritually and emotionally.

Wake Up Call…

The day God stepped into my living room, telling me “Jesus was coming back soon!” my initial response was not one of joy but great fear. I don’t care who you are, when someone tells you that you are going to die, it doesn’t strike a happy cord. I was in the prime of my life, 33 years old. Five minutes prior, I was thinking I have a whole life before me to wander through. I can do whatever I want, live my best life now. But now instead, I have to get ready, I need to protect my family as best I can, because there is a huge metaphorical flood coming, its called tribulation and judgement! Let’s just say that kind of news tend to motivate people to rethink how they live and what their purpose in life is. On a side note, if you are thinking right about now, that my judgement is corrupted by fear, then you should read what I wrote about Faith not Fear.

Condemning the World

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Hebrews 11:7

Many of us walk through life judging others sins. Many Christians deem it necessary to point out to everyone, that they are lost and dying. But this verse says that by Noah’s great faith in obeying God in building the ark… the very act of building it, is what condemned the lost. Noah didn’t have to say a word.

Our lives can be our testimony of God if we allow them to be. Simply choosing not to run after Babylon’s lusts, instead seeking to take care of what’s most important around us, is enough. Seeking to serve others, placing their needs above our own shows that Jesus really does reside in our hearts.

Growing food is hard work

Building the ark was surely not an easy task. Undoubtedly, Noah and his family faced harsh criticism and even ridicule for going against the grain, of what was considered normal, “rational” life. Today few people want to grow food. Its hard work that doesn’t pay well. There are no vacation days, sick time and very few of the worldly benefits available to a farmer. It also requires a great deal of personal risk. It is certainly not a profession for lazy people. But, for those few who do, there are rewards which are quite different from the ones the world seeks after, having perhaps a value that cannot be expressed in dollars and cents.

Noah and his family learned the principles of hard work, commitment, dedication, conviction and what family is all about. They made daily sacrifices of their time to serve each other, as they all took part in helping build their ark. Likewise a farming family must make sacrifices inorder for all to prosper.

The Value of Life

Adults and children alike learn to value all life, through a deep connection to the animals they raise and the crops they grow. They learn to respect life and the one who created it. They have a deep respect for those who are given the responsibility of taking life, because they understand the difficulty of that task. Such as the farmer who must put down an animal who he diligently raised and cared for. An animal which knows the farmer as friend. But yet that animal has an ultimate purpose of feeding that farmers family. So when the family enjoys the fruit of their labor, they hold a deep respect for where that food came from, the people who worked hard to produce it. They also share a deep gratitude towards each other and their God who has ultimately provided for their needs.

Being Planted

Farmers, like Noah, have to make a long term commitment to their work. They are in essence planted themselves. Rooted and grounded in a close relationship between the ground which produces it crops, and the hands which tend them. Just as Adam was given the responsibility of tending the garden of Eden. Wandering aimlessly through life no longer has any interest to the farmer. He puts down deep roots and grows into a strong tree, acting as a shelter and refuge to those around him.

Faith

The farmers life is dependent on faith! Faith that his seeds will sprout, the crops will grow, rains will water and the harvest will come. A life filled with faith, nurtures a deep relationship with the God who provides. It takes little faith to go to the grocery store and spend the dollar in your pocket for a can of beans. But, if you need to plant, grow, water, tend, harvest, dry, store and finally eat those beans… a little more faith is involved.

Relationships

The farmer and his family must learn the value of working together, trust and honor. Relationships and the ability to keep, and even grow them, is core to the farm family life. Learning to respect God’s natural order of family structure and those given the responsibility of shepherding that family, creates a strong family bond. Children respect their fathers and mothers, because they have a deep understanding of the love and care their parents have for them. They look up to the strength of their father and the nurturing of their mother.

Trees of Righteousness

Tall trees of the forest provide shelter to countless birds and other creatures who find refuge in their branches. In like manner the man who finds himself rooted and grounded in Christ, not afraid of hard work or sacrifice, filled with faith, whose heart is set on fulfilling the purpose God has laid out for his life… This man is like a tree planted by still waters. Able to bend in the winds of the storm, while still remaining strong and true. Unwilling to sacrifice his morals simply to appease others. This man is part of God’s own planting, a tree of righteousness in God’s fields. Bringing forth good fruit in season and acting as a refuge to all those around him. He teaches his family to be like him, to do as he does, because he does what his Father in heaven teaches him to do.

Now imagine a community of these farmers and their families. All working together as one, all of one accord. All sharing a common faith and spiritual bond. Some among them have special skills which they use to serve the needs of that community. One may become a blacksmith, another a baker. But all rely on each other and their faith in God. This is a picture of the Fields of Zion. Not just single trees planted here or there. This is God’s garden, an orchard if you will. Producing after their Fathers seed… a crop of Kingdom fruit!