The third year is coming

This verse came up in today's church service:

2 Kings 19:29-31
This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: 'This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.'

I got some great revelation from this verse, so I hope it is an encouragement to others as well.

1. Three years is a good bench mark (according to others who have been through it) to grieve a significant loss. A friend whose husband died seven years ago told me that she was advised to plan to stay out of ministry for three years after Dave's death. For me, I have been part of the worship team, but I often notice that I feel drained very quickly. I enjoy worship, but don't even realize how much giving out it entails even though it's enjoyable.

This verse talks about the first year living off whatever grows. God provides so abundantly in these times of intense sorrow and grief: meals were provided for over a month, people came over to help with any number of things, and often without me even asking.

In this second year, I started to take on the additional responsibilities I was now carrying, but there was a grace to do it. At times I am learning to put things aside that aren't critically important, or that I simply can't manage (emotionally, financially or physically). I still need to ask for help. Perhaps that will not change. I can't always hire someone to do even the smaller jobs. However, I feel much less connected than I did. At the same time, I am feeding off the process I am in, and the love that has surrounded me since my husband's death.

The third year is another kettle of fish...

2. Take root below. Establish, build firm foundations (re-build where you can, new materials where there is nothing left to build with). It will soon be time to sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit when the third year comes.

The third year scares me a little. It sounds like I will be launching into new things that feel way beyond my abilities now. More, more, more sounds hard, hard, hard. How can I start working full time again? How can I manage visits between the girls? Where do I plant and sow seed? Do I even know how anymore?

3. A remnant, a band of survivors from Judah will come. God promised David and never broke the promise, that he would have someone of his line on the throne. Even though David was succeeded by generation after generation of yahoos who abandoned the great faith heritage he left to them, God remained utterly faithful.

At the time of exile, it was a judgement based on centuries of faithless idolatry and abhorrent practices that flew in the Lord's face. But a remnant of faithful believers was retained. One of them was Daniel, a man of great faith in Babylon, and a prophet of the end times.

Those faithful were able to return and rebuild the wall of Jerusalem with Nehemiah and the temple with Zerubbabel and Ezra. God did not forget.

4. The job is significant. There is no doubt that it is a daunting task to rebuild Jerusalem after it was sacked and completely destroyed by the Babylonians and Assyrians. Jesus said not one stone would be left on another (regarding a later destruction to come).

But God is there. In the blink of an eye he has a plan in mind, to work things into His purposes even if the most ridiculously hopeless decisions have been made by his people.

5. Don't reckon without the zeal of the Lord. God will accomplish this with his zeal. He is zealous for His purposes and they will be fulfilled whether or not we go along with Him. We can choose whatever we like, but God will still ensure His plan is carried out.

That isn't meant to sound like a "control freak in charge", but more that God can reassure us.

Doesn't matter how crazy your life got, or how much it all fell apart. You could lose absolutely everything. God will pick up the pieces and bring it all back into alignment again. He will turn the barren wasteland into a place of springs.

Depend on it. The third year is coming. We will plant and reap. We will sow seeds.

They that sow with tears will reap with shouts of joy.