Many things can be learned from the world we live in.  During His life on Earth, Jesus advised, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28b-30 NKJV) If, as He stated, we can learn things from things that grow in the field, it will benefit us to consider the fields.

As we worked bringing in the hay harvest, I particularly enjoyed the view. Elevated in the tractor seat, I get a wider view of the the landscape.  On this particular day, we baled a hilly field.  From the tractor seat, mounted on the rise of a hill, I saw acres of cut, dried hay neatly raked into rows awaiting the harvest.  Between each row, stubble, alive and growing, remained. Fence lines sported colors from goldenrod and other wildflowers in bloom. Beyond the hayfield, acres of corn waved in the breeze.  Still further in the distance rose hardwood forests.

Before this day came, rain loomed in the forecast. Steady sunshine was a must for the hay crop. Without the sun’s drying influence, the hay could mold in the storage shed or be unfit for storage altogether.  With winter sure to come, feed for our cattle is a necessity.  Waiting for the good crop and abundant sunshine came along with much tension and concern.  How grateful we were that though rain was coming, the Lord parted the clouds for the morning and afternoon to bless us with the sun’s warming presence.

The cut, raked hay dried and baled well due the sun. The short stubble hay needed the sun for growth, as did the corn as it matured in the neighboring fields. Trees, off in the distance, craved sunshine for photosynthesis and the production of sugar to support their very lives.

I pondered this question.  “In 3-square feet of the field, how many plants might be rooted and dependent on the sun.”  Of course,  I had no time to measure this exactly.  But this question illustrated to me how massive an influence the sun has on the land.  Not every plant which depends on the sun is the same or even similar.  Their needs and growth differ. But this one sun affects each small plant or seed that embeds itself in the earth.

God is like that.  So many individuals on Earth are similar in that they need Him.  They are not all the same, but God supplies them with life itself. People have a vast amount of needs and yet, only this one God supplies all for everyone. He cares about each one of them.

I hope that this time of “considering the…fields” of hay helps you to picture what grows in the field and to understand more deeply how God reaches out everywhere and knows each of His creations.

photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau

For a fun look at another hay field try  http://artbyannaayres.com/works/1270914/hay-field-triptych .

photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau