SCORCHED CORNFIELD PRAISE

“It would be hard to be standing out in our cornfields and praise God,” Tom said. Extreme lack of rain had parched his crops. He attempted a half-smile: “It’s bad, really bad.”

“How long since it’s been this dry Tom? Ten years?” Every trace of a smile washed from his face: “Maybe a hundred years.”

Tom’s big shoulders were sagging. All of his income is derived from farming. Standing in his scorched cornfields could be depressing. A devoted, faith-filled Christian; Tom admits this challenging struggle.

Another man once told of some of his desperate situations. Apostle Paul said, “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless…up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth…”

A few sentences later he writes: “Therefore, I urge you to imitate me.”

What! Imitate a man who has just crowned himself, “Scum of the Earth.”

Apostle Paul also said, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

He then reveals the secret: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Dry seasons will come; the make-it-break-it point will arrive. Is our trust in Jesus Christ? Do we believe He can revive our situation?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Focusing on Jesus turns a scorched cornfield into an opportunity for God to show His power.

Apostle Paul finished the job God had for him. And is now esteemed as one of God’s greatest men of all time. For Tom? His faith held firm. He focused on Jesus. The rains came a few days later.

For you? Imitate their secret. Trust Jesus to give you the strength for the journey through your scorched cornfield.