 So we're here in Ecclesiastes 11 we're going to look going to look at verses 1 through 6 tonight so I'll begin reading here in Ecclesiastes chapter 11 verse 1 I'll read to verse 6 and we'll get into our study Solomon writes cast your bread upon the waters for you will find it after many days give a serving to seven and also to eight for you do not know what evil will be on the earth and If the clouds are full of rain they empty themselves upon the earth and if a tree falls to the south or the north in The place where the tree falls there it shall lie He who observes the wind will not so he who regards the clouds will not reap as you do not know What is the way of the wind or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child So you do not know the works of God who makes everything in the morning so you see and In the evening do not withhold your hand for you do not know which will prosper either this or that or whether both alike will be good so This portion of Ecclesiastes is a portion where we're Solomon the author of the book begins to emphasize living by faith and He's going to be using various illustrations in the verses before us. He's going to use two basic illustrations He he's going to use the illustration of a merchant and he's also going to use the illustration of a farmer Now as we look at this We need to know that the man who is writing this not only is inspired by the spirit of God as he writes and Not only is he the wisest man But we also know that he's an individual who is very very well schooled on the issues or those things that relate to Merchants being a merchant and and a farmer He was very well acquainted with those things and all because in his kingdom There was a lot of people who were merchants and there was a lot of farming and all and he was very familiar with all of this And so he's going to be using his experience as well as the anointing and direction of the Holy Spirit to give us some insight into Some things related to living by faith and so we'll look at verses one and two together and then we'll move on from there So again when he says in verse one cast your bread upon the waters for you will find it after many days Give a serving to seven also to eight for you do not know what evil will be on the earth he uses the illustration of a merchant and Notice how he says cast your bread upon the waters Now there are various ways that this has been interpreted I'll give you some of the ways that those over the years have looked at this particular Verse about casting your bread upon the waters And I'll develop it with you a little bit further once I give you a couple of those Ways that they look at it. There are those who think that casting bread Speaks of living for today in an unrestrained way They would be saying well cast your bread don't worry about tomorrow Because everything is going to work out So don't be worrying about tomorrow tomorrow has enough worries for itself. They would be saying it's like Matthew 6 31 through 33 Where Jesus said therefore do not worry saying what shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear for after all these things the Gentiles seek for your heavenly father knows what you need Knows that you need all these things But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness all these things shall be added to you So there are those who would say that it's basically similar to what Jesus says when he says don't be worried about Tomorrow so cast your bread don't worry about tomorrow everything some say this means everything will work out Well, there are others that say it is counsel to give Without any concern for receiving in return So they would say that Solomon is saying just let go of what you have and don't worry about losing it all Because again as a merchant cast your bread upon the waters won't that all drift away and all and so there are those who say He's saying let it go don't worry about losing everything and again They would appeal to Luke chapter 6 verses 34 and 35 Words of Jesus where he says if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back What credit is that to you even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back But love your enemies do good lend hoping for nothing in return your reward will be great You will be sons of the most high. He's kind and he's kind to the unthankful and the evil So they're saying he's saying let it go let go of what you have Don't worry about losing it all Jesus taught something similar. They would say But when you look at this closely and he says cast your bread upon waters, you will find it after many days it seems that he is speaking of results and It would be pertaining to the fact that faith-filled giving has a way of bringing future reward Again casting bread upon the waters gives the impression that you're throwing it away It's interesting to note that the word bread when he says cast your bread is a word that in Hebrew has also been translated in other parts of the Old Testament as the word seed So the word bread can be translated seed because the seed matures and it's ultimately reaped and used to be Made into bread and so nobody would throw seed or bread into a river or the ocean Because it would be wasteful So casting bread upon the waters gives the impression that you're throwing it away So with that said investing requires faith and trust that the investment will reap good results That's especially true in business Where beginning a business can be risky anybody in here who's begun a business knows that it can be a risky business because You're you have a lot of money that you're putting out But no guarantee that you're going to receive anything in return So when somebody does or opens up a business, they're actually Taking a chance. They're asked actually risking things and so from that point of view This could encourage someone to take a chance Again, every business person knows that nothing ventured is nothing gained To succeed in business taking calculated chances are necessary if you intend to have success And obviously sending your merchandise via wooden ships would be a risky business So the disbursement of your finances involves risk, but profits may flow back to you It takes a certain kind of faith to invest money with an eye on possible future returns and not everyone can do it Because not everyone can be sure I still remember When I got out of the military, I'd put a little money away Not much because at that time you didn't get much when you served. I made $425 a month, I think so you didn't make a whole lot of money Serving in the military probably still don't and so I had saved money over a course of several months I didn't have much. I had maybe two two and a half $2,500 or so maybe three thousand or so in the bank So I get out of the military and my mom says to me Dave You need to take your money that you've been saving and invest it And my mom had kind of like a mentality of take a chance take a risk see what happens. You can make a profit That was my mom That's not me So my mom says to me Dave. I know a place you can buy a triplex three three small Dwelling places in Anaheim you can buy a triplex in Anaheim you can rent out those units You can pay off your your investment by receiving the you know the money for rent and Property will go up you can buy a triplex in Anaheim for $30,000 Yeah, I wanted to wait on that one three homes in Anaheim for $30,000 I didn't I Didn't I couldn't get myself to do that Because $30,000 is a lot of money and so the idea of me taking and investing and purchasing and becoming a landlord I didn't have the I didn't have what it takes I wasn't a person who could understand that that investment sometimes is risky and in one application of this is That's what Solomon could be talking about. He could be speaking about being willing to take a risk for something that will bring a return But there is also a difference between presumption presuming that you're going to receive some reward or dividends and Faith-filled planning So in all of our endeavors as Christians we rely on God Because we need to pray Lord is this for you is this something you would have me to do Would you have me to take what I have and invest it that that all takes prayer and and and you wait on the Lord to give You a sense that he's leading you in one way or another We need to remember Proverbs 16 verse 9 a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps And so you you pray and seek the Lord Lord is it of you is this something you would have me to do Now I want to develop this a step further James in chapter 4 verses 13 through 15 Said something like this come now you who say today or tomorrow We will go to such and such a city spend a year there buy and sell and make a profit Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away Instead you want to say if the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that and so I may be making plans But I need to make sure there that these plans are submitted to the Lord and I wait on his leading What James is speaking about here interestingly enough is he's speaking about business people who have devised plans and these plans Actually when you read this you may not note this But those who are in business can see what James is doing is actually given to you carefully detailed business plans in the verses I just read to you because he says come now you who say today or tomorrow We will go to such and such a city spend a year there what he's doing is he's giving a carefully detailed business plan One their start time is worked out. He says today or tomorrow. We will go second their demographics are determined We're going to go to such and such a city third. They have a set timeline We're going to spend a year there fourth. They have a business strategy We're going to buy and we're going to sell and then fifth. They have a measurable goal We are going to make a profit So what you see James doing here is speaking concerning plans for your tomorrow And he's saying these are things that people do they have a plan They have a timeline a demographic. They have it all set and They're going to have they they have that goal of making that profit now Is there something wrong with this shouldn't we make plans and pursue them? Well, it is wrong when we have the wrong goals and strategies it is wrong when we don't seek the Lord and So the simple point James is making is we don't control our own lives in all of these plans No allowance was made for unforeseen Circumstances in these business people who leave that they would live another year, but there's no guarantee that you will We cannot control what will occur tomorrow let alone what happens 365 days from now We're not the ones who have control of the future Only God does and that's why James said what is your life? It's like a vapor that appears for a little time Life is transient. What is your life? It's a vapor. It's a morning mist hanging over a field and Therefore like Proverbs 27 one says do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth James is Encouraging his readers to have a realistic attitude for the future To understand that the future is uncertain Actually benefits us because it helps us to keep our trust in God and it helps us to value the present and spiritually when you look at that in a practical way That is one thing but spiritually this could be an encouragement to trust the Lord to supply your need Again cast your bread upon the waters. You will find it after many days When you give your gift to the Lord some think you're just throwing it away, you're wasting it Why do you do that? They'll say why do you give your money? You're giving your money to the church. You're giving your money to people you can't trust and There are many people who believe that I've told you the story of time Marie and I went to test drive a van We were gonna buy it. We had our children were small at the time and and We needed more room for the kids and so I went to look at at a car in a car lot and I climbed in the car with the guy and the Salesman sat in the passenger side and Marie sat in the back seat where she usually drives and as we were and As we were test driving the vehicle The salesman turns to me and he says to me What do you do for a living? Now obviously what he's doing is he's trying to see if I have the funds to pay for the car payment That's we you know, I respect that of course So I always get weird responses when I answer those kinds of questions. And so I said to him. I'm a pastor So the car salesman seated next to me. What do you do for a living? I turn I say I'm a pastor He gets quiet for a second then he looks at me and he says, you know pastors are thieves Yeah, that that wasn't that's really not the best way to try and make a sale So he goes, you know pastors are thieves And I said really And he goes, yeah, I mean he said it with certainty yeah, and I smiled at him and I said, do you know that there are over 500,000 Protestant pastors in the United States and That the overwhelming majority of these pastors are honest God-fearing men. Did you know that? He said no can't say that I knew that I said well, that's true. I said over 500,000 pastors Overwhelming amount of them God-fearing honest man Any kind of nods his head and I said, but let me tell you something The last two cars that I bought were sold to me. I lying car salesman I said, but you're not a liar. Are you? You're honest, aren't you? And he looks at me. Yes, sir. I am I said, of course. I said you're an honest car salesman I'm an honest pastor, you know, you have to in life You have to be aware that some people look at your giving to God as a waste It's casting your bread upon the waters. It's throwing it away It's not a wise investment. I mean, you've got so many things that you need Why would you take that what you need which could pay bills or feed your family or purchase a car or put you in a vacation home? Why would you take this money and and throw it away? And you know and I know that there are a lot of people who think that Christians like us we who give to the Lord They think that we're foolish for doing so They think that we're fools because we give our gifts to the Lord and so they think you're throwing it away Well, the bottom line is Giving has always been an act of faith Because we trust the Lord to care for us and as a matter of fact We have learned that when I give we give when we give it is one of the most tangible Demonstrations of faith that I have it's one thing for me to say oh, I believe God. It's another thing for me to give to him It's just a very basic thing and so in giving to the Lord We're actually trusting the Lord because he says cast your bread upon the waters You will find it after many days. There's a return You see again when we give to the Lord It could look like we're wasting our money throwing it away But giving reveals trust that God will provide for us because God has promised that he would in Proverbs chapter 3 verses 9 and 10 We read honor the Lord with your possessions with the first fruits of all your increase So your barns will be filled with plenty your vats will overflow with new wine in second second Corinthians 9 verses 6 through 8 Paul said But this I say he who's so sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully Let each one give as he purposes in his heart not grudgingly or of necessity God loves a cheerful giver God is able to make all grace abound towards you that you always having all sufficiency and all things may have an abundance for every good word. It's a promise he's making You know the world knows how to worship what it worships. I remember I went to I was in India and while I was in in India, I I was really amazed at how American manufacturing dominates much of the The commercial life of those in India. India is one of the poorest countries. I've ever been in I don't know how many of you have ever been there. Perhaps we have some who have India is one of the most impoverished countries. I've ever been in when we arrived in in in Bombay when we arrived in the airport There is the smell of rotten stench is So bad that even in the airport through thick panes of glass you can still smell The rot in in that big city. We speak concerning people living in poverty in the United States But unless you've been to a place like India You really don't know what poverty is Because on traffic islands traffic islands picture going to Los Angeles and Traffic islands there will be cardboard houses that have been built on traffic islands where the poor people live People will work like we saw a woman who was breaking rocks with a hammer. She was under a tarp It was between 90 to 95 or more degrees and She was breaking these rocks into gravel and as we went by our guide Turned to us and I asked him. I said, what is she doing? He said that woman there works 10 hours 10 hours a day and makes 50 cents 10 hours and with the 50 cents She buys food for her children. I could go on and on and on with stories like that And so what happens is we are in a country where poverty is Overwhelming Where the smell of sewage and rot is incredible where during the monsoon the waters rise in the city and there are more rats that come out from the Basements and all and flood the city than there are human beings living in that city millions and millions of rats and So you're in a place I could go on I'll stop at that point. It's it's really amazing and yet You can see guys selling Levi's You will see different sandwich shops from the United States You will see clothing. They have a Hindi form an Indian form of MTV which is kind of interesting to watch Raul Reese and I were together watching them It was really really interesting, you know to see that but they borrow American music American culture They have what is called Bollywood there where they make a lot of movies and I thought It's interesting how American Enterprise has entered in to this impoverished country and They don't mind selling their Levi's to people who make very little They don't mind selling their food products to these people their vehicles to these people And and it came to mind what Jesus said in Luke 16 when he gave the parable of of the unjust steward and How that he said the children of this age are wiser than the children of light Because this unjust steward hadn't been faithful in his job And so what happens is the boss says I'm gonna let you go you have to give an account of yourself He says what am I gonna do? I'm too old to work. I'm too proud to pour I'm too poor to be proud because I don't want to be poor. So what am I gonna do? He says this is what I'll do He says I'll go to those who owe my master money and I'll say how much you owe him I'll reduce the amount. I'll take it and Jesus commends the unjust steward because this man was taking care of himself and then he goes on and he says not that he's saying This kind of thing is right, but he says it like this the children of this age are wiser than the children of light Because they know what priorities are and how to live and the Christian church doesn't the Christian church doesn't know that you cast your bread upon the water and it appears to be going away because It seems to be drifted away when in fact the promise of God is he's going to take care of you And so that's the heart of Christian giving its worship to God Knowing that God is promised. I will take care of you And so one of the ways that you apply this verse here is being aware of Taking a risk in life and second the spiritual aspect is trusting the Lord Because what appears to be thrown away is in reality going to bring a return to you And in your giving to the Lord God always cares for you He says in verse 2 give you give us serving to 7 and also to 8 for you do not know what evil will be on the earth So if you use your money You need to look at various places to invest it and be generous with it if if God has blessed you Be generous care for others like it says in Psalm 112 verses 5 through 8 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely who conducts his affairs with justice Surely he will never be shaken a righteous man will be remembered forever He will have no fear of bad news. His heart is steadfast Trusting in the Lord notice how he says in verse 2 the last portion You do not know what evil will be on the earth and other in other words You never know when bad times will come for others or for yourself in the end riches cannot profit us if we haven't been a blessing to others in Galatians 6 verse 9 Paul said let us not grow weary while doing good for in due season We shall reap if we do not lose heart in verses 3 through 6 he goes on If the clouds are full of rain they empty themselves upon the earth If a tree falls to the south of the north in the place where the tree falls there shall I He who sows he who observes the wind will not so he who regards the clouds Will not reap as you do not know what is the way of the wind or how the bones grow in the womb of her Who is with child so you do not know the works of God who makes everything in the morning So your seed and in the evening do not withhold your hand or you do not know Which will prosper either this or that or whether both the like will be good Also in verses 3 through 6 this brings us to Solomon's second illustration and that would be of the farmer What he's pointing and we see it clearly is nobody can predict or control the weather so that leaves the farmer at the mercy of nature and How does he deal with that? Well Solomon begins by drawing a contrast between clouds and trees Now obviously clouds are always passing through they constantly change Sometimes the wind blows them over the land it can rain Sometimes they hold no rain and even if they did well you can't control the wind in Contrast you have a tree a tree is rooted in the ground and under normal circumstances when that tree falls It remains where it fell So that's providing a contrast between that which changes and that which does not change so The tree could represent the past and the past cannot be changed But the present would be represented by a cloud and the present is available to us So don't sit around waiting for the ideal circumstance to present itself You see verse 4 he who observes the wind will not so he who regards the clouds will not reap Sitting around trying to predict perfect conditions may paralyze you in indecision and one of the worst things that I can be is Indecisive that's not a good place to be You know have you ever? Have you ever been standing somewhere and somebody's writing that towards you with on a bicycle or a skateboard and They don't seem to notice you and you think well I ought to go to the right but they seem to be going the direction you are So you start thinking I ought to go to the left but they seem they may go that way So what do you do? You kind of stand there indecisive and they run you over, you know Indecision is not a good thing and in life indecision if it's not something where the Lord is saying wait on me or or be still If it's just an inability to decide it's not a good thing And so sometimes we have to simply launch out and we have to trust the Lord I'm gonna do something that I I used to do all the time I'm gonna turn you to another portion of scripture keep your hand here in Ecclesiastes turn with me to Luke chapter 5 I want to show you something Luke chapter 5 Sometimes you need to launch out in faith and trust the Lord God knows what tomorrow holds and we don't The wisest thing I can learn to do is follow his spirit The wisest thing I can learn to do is obey when I know what he's saying to do In Luke chapter 5 Beginning at verse 1 So it was as The multitude pressed about him to hear the word of God that he stood by the lake of Ganesaret and Saw two boats standing by the lake But the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets Then he got into one of the boats which was Simons and asked him to put out a little from the land And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat When he stopped speaking he said to Simon launch out into the deep let down your nets for a catch Simon answered and said to him master We have toiled all night caught nothing Nevertheless at your word. I will let down the net and when they had done this They caught a great number of fish their net was breaking So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink When Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus's knees saying depart for me for I am a sinful man Oh Lord for he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken and So also were James and John the sons of Zebedee who were partners with Simon Jesus said to Simon do not be afraid from now on you will catch man So when they had brought their boats to land they first of all and followed him So you have a fisherman and you have an itinerant an itinerant preacher a man who has no place to play his head He's moving from north to south constantly moving around. He's an itinerant preacher and This itinerant preacher by the name of Jesus is there by the sea the sea of Galilee There's actually three different names that are used to describe that one place the lake The lake in the sea and all and in this particular place is called the lake of Ganeser it and so Jesus is there preaching Simon is you can almost see him there standing on the shoreline listening to the master But there's so many people that have come That Jesus turns to Simon and ask can I use your boat and So he stands in the boat that way He's able to be a distance from the people and he's able to share and then and everything's okay at that point You can almost picture Peter as he's kind of going about his work and then Jesus says to Simon launch out and And this is where the problem begins Launch into the deep let down your nets for a catch Well, here's the problem and Simon being a master fisherman and a businessman. It's about to He's about to instruct the the God of creation about how business works and how fishing works You see the fishermen would use their nets and drop them at night because the fish wouldn't see them and When they would draw their their nets up the fish would be caught In those nets and that's how they would catch their fish But you don't drop a net during the day and full daylight because the fish can see and You're not going to catch anything and that's what he's telling me. He said master. We've we've fished all night We caught nothing in other words this spot is dry You know, there's nothing there and especially the way that we fish dropping nets at all The fish will not and so he tries to instruct the Lord It's almost like he's saying listen, you're a preacher and preachers really don't understand real life Preachers don't really you know, it's like that people think we passers are Today, you know, well, you guys got a comfy job All you do is golf five days out of the week and the other two you may teach That's what you do because they don't know what pastors do. Well, Simon did yet know what Jesus Christ would do and but he says cast out your net in the deep We've been fishing all night and caught nothing but nevertheless at your word in other words I'll do what you say in Hesitating obedience. No faith involved at all. He drops that net and then picks it back up and it's filled with fish There are times that we need to launch out in the deep There are times when the Lord may lead you in a way that doesn't seem to make sense It doesn't it that doesn't make sense I'm born and raised in Norwalk all my contacts connections friendships relationships are all in Norwalk Why would I jump in my car and come to Ontario? Where Ontario is the wages of sin? I mean, why would I do that? What why would I leave L LA County and come into San Bernardino County? Why would I do that because all of my connections and I've been doing a Bible study for a year already And there was fruit to it. Why would I want to come into Ontario? But the Lord through his spirit leads you to launch out into the deep and You go someplace or they all I only knew one person in this area and it was my brother and I came to teach my brother and That's that's how it began for me to be introduced to Ontario and then as I'm teaching a Bible study a young woman comes to the Bible study And that's how the Lord intended to introduce me to my bride and then my bride has family from Chino And I want to bring my wife that she might be able to see mom and dad every weekend So we drive from Norwalk and we drive to Claremont So I can go to church there in order that we can go and see mom and dad on Sundays But I get to know the pastor and the pastor says to me I'd like you on my board then he says I'd like you to teach then I become the assistant and then a couple years later I planted church here and actually in in Ontario and we ultimately move here But it all took a simple casting the net into the deep to catch It was the Holy Spirit and he's done that with you too hasn't he There have been times that he said speak to that person. He said I don't know him now speak to him speak to him and So you walk him and say, you know, what's up? He says, you And before you know it the guy begins to talk to you and you find an opportunity to share the Lord and God moves and you you go out and you climb in your car and you hold on to the steering wheel saying I just had a divine appointment God moved me to do something because he knows I'm shy. He knows that I'm reserved and yet he He said drop your your your net into the deep And you'll catch something see that's how it works. And so The Christian life is is a is a walk of faith It's step after step and sometimes you don't know what tomorrow will hold But I always like to say but you know who holds tomorrow And so what you do is you learn to follow the Lord step by step And God has a way of having his will done you can turn on back to chapter 11 Launch out into the deep launch out in faith Trust the Lord He says in verse 5 You do not know what is the way of the wind or how the bones go in the womb of her who is with child So you do not know the works of God who makes everything Nobody truly understands the way of the wind Interestingly the word wind here in the Hebrew is the Hebrew word Ruach And it is used often in the Old Testament to speak of the wind natural wind But it is also used to speak of the the spirit of a living person So this could speak of us not knowing how the human spirit is actually the person How does the spirit enter into the embryo making it a human life Now when he speaks you do not know what is the way of the wind that reminds us of something That Jesus said in the New Testament remember how in John chapter 3 this the scripture speaks about A man by the name Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night And and said master we know that you are a teacher come from God for no man can do the works that you do Unless God is with them and then Jesus engages him in conversation You need to be born again to see or to enter into the kingdom of heaven and as Jesus is speaking to him in that way He says in John 3 verse 8 that the wind blows where it wishes you hear the sound of it But cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who's born of the spirit and so Nobody knows you do not know what the way of the wind The Holy Spirit is often represented as wind also And so you don't know how the work of the spirit is you don't know how human beings are actually human beings You know that embryo is is actually a human life. It is It's not we use words today. We say feed us and all Do sometimes it has a way of erasing the humanity of the child in the womb But in fact the Bible makes it very clear that that child in the womb is a child in the womb Not simply a fetus not referred to simply as an embryo and so The bottom line is and He says it No one knows how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child. You don't understand life Nobody can truly and completely understand how complex a human life really is in Psalm 139 verses 14 through 16 the psalmist said it like this. I praise you Because I am fearfully and wonderfully made Your works are wonderful. I know that full well My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place When I was woven together in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my Unformed body all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be Is that child in the womb a child? Obviously and the psalmist is making it very clear The psalmist is making it clear All the days are day for me were written in your book before one of them came to be and This argument as to whether or not that's a human child is ridiculous. It's a ridiculous argument Because in fact if it's not a human child then when it's born, what is it? Is it a reptile? Is it a fish? I mean, what is it? I mean come on and yet We have this tendency of trying to reduce human life to to something less so that we can take away The stain of treating that human life in some of the most horrible ways that sometimes people have treated that human life So we need to be aware of that He's speaking concerning the wonder of creation He says you don't know when that human spirit is When that child the moment that child because nobody knows the exact second of the conception And and the mystery of the way the bones and everything are formed within the baby You know having four children Having grandchildren and and watching my my Daughter-in-law joseph's joseph's i almost said husband joseph's wife joseph's wife as she's She's pregnant, you know watching it just reminds us of the wonder of the wonder of childbirth And there's two things that does it just blows my mind To to to know that in a few months, you know, a baby will separate her woman and once again We'll have another baby that we're able to love and and the second thing is it causes me to praise god that i'm not a woman Because i don't have to go through that You see we're able to chart and monitor the growth of a baby, but we don't completely understand it And so again because this is true We we trust that god has all things under Control you see the things we cannot understand are to be left in his hands In john 13 verse 7 Jesus said something that i've applied in my life for the longest time Jesus in john 13 7 said what i am doing you do not understand now But you will know after this There are things that that you go through let me encourage you There are things that you go through as a christian that you didn't expect to have to go through Or am i wrong? No, there are things that you've gone through Or are yet to go through that you didn't anticipate You thought when you got saved Everything was going to be just the greatest and the easiest and the best And i'd never cry again. I'll never have my heart broken ever again I'll never be disappointed again. I am the head. I'm not the tail. I'm going to succeed I'm the victor and then you find yourself going through struggles Sometimes they're our own fault Sometimes it seems we had nothing to do with this And your faith is tested And you're and and and you begin to wonder And you begin to ask the lord If you really love me Why Why are you allowing this in my life? If you really love me lord You'd be providing If you really loved me My kid would be following you. You know, I pray for him night and day Whatever it may be my health. It's going down the tubes. I've always been healthy lord And how i'm not I don't know You know, we we learn things through the furnace of affliction And one of the things that i've learned is that god refines my faith And very often removes the things that are distractions so that i can have my eyes set on just one thing You know, you know, jacob is there waiting to see his brother And an angel comes and wrestles with him all night Jacob means supplanter sneaky that was his name He had a history of being A supplanter stealing birthrights and blessings from his his brother And now he's afraid he needs waiting to see his brother and his brother doesn't like him much And an angel wrestles with him till dawn And jacob holds on and wrestles and holds on wrestles and holds on And finally the dawn is breaking. It's time for the lesson to be learned And the angel reaches and touches him in the hip and withers The muscle there so that he walks with a limp the rest of his life But in the wrestling with that angel his name was changed From sneaky it became israel prince with god And for the rest of his life jacob walked with a limp To remind him of how dependent he needed to be on the one who defeated him He who was a supplanter is now a prince and it was through the injury That he came to depend on god and to rely on him So don't be so upset when god cripples When god breaks you when god wounds you Because the one he wounds he uses So be thankful for that Because it gives you something to give to other people Because what you go through pain wise Gives you wisdom when you trust the lord And you're able to say to others who go down the same path Been there done that and I know my god is able my god is able My god is able you'll learn that that's how you learn it That's how you learn it. So trust the lord what i'm doing you do not understand now, but you will know After this and after all these years i've walked this is my 48th anniversary this month of walking with jesus I can tell you that that is true. I can tell you that is true And then finally in verse 60 says in the morning Sew your seed in the evening do not withhold your hand for you do not know which will prosper either this or that Or whether both alike will be good Work faithfully Don't become lazy Don't become neglectful at what you're doing Sewing seed in the morning is good, but sometimes the work must go on into the evening The fact is diligence at what you're doing will always be necessary for success Just because you don't know the final results will not excuse you for not working So regard life as a faith-filled adventure invest in today To reap benefits tomorrow Like the farmer sew your seed and trust god to bring the harvest