“He that observeth the wind shall not sow... In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that.”
The Ground
The Preacher names a specific trap here: he that observeth the wind shall not sow, endlessly analyzing conditions, waiting for perfect certainty before taking action, and never actually planting anything as a result. This kind of excessive caution feels responsible. Ecclesiastes calls it, effectively, a way of guaranteeing an empty harvest.
Notice the instruction that follows: in the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand. This is not reckless carelessness. It is a refusal to let uncertainty become an excuse for permanent inaction, sowing at both ends of the day, morning and evening, rather than waiting for conditions that never fully arrive.
The reason given is honest rather than falsely reassuring: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that. This is not a promise that everything you sow will succeed. It is an acknowledgment that you cannot know in advance which sowing will prosper, and that this uncertainty is not a valid reason to stop sowing altogether.
Whatever you have been withholding, waiting for more certainty before you act, this verse names that waiting for what it often is, watching the wind rather than sowing. Sow today, in the morning if you can, and again this evening, trusting the outcome to the one who actually knows what you cannot.
Tend the Ground
- Name what you have been withholding while waiting for more certainty first.
- Sow it today, specifically, refusing to let uncertainty extend the waiting further.
- Release the outcome to God rather than needing to know in advance which sowing prospers.
Prayer
Lord, I have been watching the wind instead of sowing. Give me courage to plant today, uncertain of the outcome, trusting you with what I cannot know in advance. Amen.
Carry this today
Watching the wind guarantees an empty harvest. Sow anyway.