Making Hay While the Sun Shines

The old adage says, “When situation is not right, God says, ‘No.’ When timing is not right, God says, ‘Slow.’ When I’m not right, God says, ‘Grow.’ When everything is right, God says, ‘Go.’” Most of the time we emphasize the “No, Slow, and Grow.” Why? That’s where we struggle the most. While “patience is a virtue,” moving forward at the right time is every bit as godly.

King Saul was in the midst of a battle with the Philistines (1 Samuel 14). While his son took the initiative and picked a fight with the enemy that eventually grew into a rout, Saul sat idle, proclaiming a poorly timed curse on any man who ate anything that day. While there is definitely a time to fast and pray—ICHE has a day each month on which we fast and pray—this was not the time. As Jonathan and his armor bearer continued forward, Saul’s troops belatedly began to move to give assistance. The good news is that a mighty victory was won. The sad news is the Israelites could have totally annihilated their enemy if it were not for the fact that they were weakened by Saul’s ill-conceived fast.

Proverbs says it this way, “A wise youth makes hay while the sun shines, but what a shame to see a lad who sleeps away his hour of opportunity.” (Proverbs 10:5 TLB) We need to impress upon our children, especially our young men, there are certain seasons of life in which they cannot fall asleep. The ages between 15 -22 are irreplaceable, yet so many sit basically idle during this period. Obviously, some are not quite for sure what direction God is calling them to vocationally, but most will be adult men, husbands, and fathers; therefore, it is incumbent upon them to start preparing for those roles. What does this look like?

I always encourage young people to be avid readers of marriage and family books. There is a plethora of information at the click of a mouse, so ignorance is no excuse. For young men, they should read some books on solid biblical doctrine as they are called by God to lead a biblically ordered family. There are many systematic theology books out there with Wayne Grudem being a good middle-of-the road theologian. I also encourage my sons to read books on leadership by writers such as John Maxwell. I realize some of these are not based directly on scripture, but most contain biblical precedents and principles. The goal is to get them to think like leaders.

There are numerous downloads and podcasts that can be listened to on road trips or when mowing the lawn. How many precious hours are wasted on YouTube clips, mindless music, ridiculous memes, etc.? We need to tell our young adults to “Charge!” into their future by arming themselves with God-honoring and God-exalting knowledge rather than worldly foolishness, and then augment that knowledge with wisdom by engaging with the gray hairs of their community.

This year’s planting season has been challenging for farmers. One Wisconsin farmer told me at the convention in Bourbonnais that he planted some corn in April when the ground was dry. He could have planted more but he thought he would have even more opportunity later on. It is now early June, and he is still waiting. Looking back, he said he wished he had been more aggressive with that period of time.

What is true of the farmer is true for us all. Let us not wait until our back is against the wall to move forward. As the late U.C.L.A. basketball legend, John Wooden, said, “Come game time, it is too late to prepare.” We need to prepare now in this season because game time is coming faster than we think. We should be making hay while the sun shines.