Well, tomorrow at 2 am it’s official: summer is over! British Summer Time will end for another year, returning to Greenwich Mean Time, and the approach of winter. Those of us who are older might be tempted to say, ‘how time flies’. Speaking of which, it doesn’t seem that long ago since the first of these little articles appeared in Farming Life, and yet today’s article is the 100th since they began back in 2017 – how time does indeed fly.
Summer opportunities
But back to summer and the season which brings many opportunities, both for farmers, who need the good weather for growth and harvesting of crops, and others, who look forward to good weather for holidays and outdoor activities of various kinds. But it is now gone for another year.
The prophet Jeremiah uses an agricultural image as he speaks of summer ending, and laments Israel’s missed opportunities, not just over a summer, but over many centuries. But when he says ‘the harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not saved’ (Jeremiah 8:20), he is not thinking primarily of an ordinary harvest, but of the spiritual state of his people.
You see, they were sinful, and had departed from the worship of God to worshipping idols. (Idolatry is where we put anything, or anyone, in the place of God. And our land is full of it, just as ancient Israel was). Now, although God had sent many of his servants, like Jeremiah, to warn the Israelites to repent, they had refused to listen and had gone their own way. And this rebellion had been going on ever since God brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, hundreds of years before Jeremiah’s time.
Make the most of opportunities to seek God
During those years, there had been many opportunities for them to turn back to God, but the opportunities had now gone and it was too late. The nation of Israel was soon heading for defeat at the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar and his mighty Babylonian army, and when that army captured Jerusalem in 587 BC, many Israelites would perish, and many others would be taken as prisoners back to Babylon. You see, because of their persistent sin and failure to repent, ‘there was no other remedy’ (2 Chronicles 36:16), and nothing else to be done but judgement.
In farming, in preparation for winter, there are often many opportunities, albeit sometimes quite brief opportunities, to get things done: crops planted and harvested etc. But there comes a time when the summer is ended and these opportunities cease. Diligent farmers of course watch for such opportunities and are careful not to miss them.
How much more, then, should we all make the most of opportunities to seek God, to read His word, and to hear it faithfully preached, because there comes a time for all of us when all gospel opportunities come to an end, and we must leave this world to meet God as our judge. So, to use the words of the prophet Isaiah, let us ‘seek the Lord while he may be found’ (Isaiah 55:6) and turn from our sin in true repentance. And, if we do, as he says in verse seven, we will find a God who ‘abundantly pardons’.
Let us not miss our gospel opportunities!
The former GP was ordained for the ministry in 1990. He retired in 2013 after 19 years as Minister of Castledawson and Curran Presbyterian churches in South Derry. Before becoming a minister Kenneth worked on farms during his student days. As a hobby he now enjoys restoring vintage farm machinery.
His blog appeared in a fortnightly column entitled ‘Good News For the Countryside’, in today’s Farming Life, where people from a farming background, or who have a heart for the countryside, offer a personal reflection on faith and rural life.
You can look at other blogs in this series here.
If you would like to talk to someone about any of the issues raised in this article, please email Rev Kenny Hanna at khanna@presbyterianireland.org or call him on 028 9753 1234.