Farming can be a thankless job, but it is one of the most essential. It takes a person of incredible character to be a farmer—one who is dedicated, disciplined, and faithful.
Much like our faith, farming is a commitment not to be taken lightly. Farming is more than just a full-time job, it’s a way of life. And even more than that—to God, farming is part of His original design.
“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”—Genesis 2:15
Repentance through Farming
Even though farming is challenging and difficult, we rejoice in the fact that God provides for us by partnering with Him in harnessing the land’s potential.
Today, farming is how many immigrants and refugees from war-torn countries are able to find a fresh start. Even though the individuals may have had nothing to do with the wars that they are fleeing from, God has called them into a partnership for land restoration.
In the face of hardship and adversity, they find the strength in God to overcome the trials of life.
The farmers all say yes to their call. And God blesses them in return.
“But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause—who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. He gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields.”—Job 5:8-12
God values loyalty and devotion above all else, and what better way to develop those characteristics than hard, honest labor? Our very survival has depended on it for all time.
Farming Is the Foundation of Society
If it weren’t for farmers, where would we find our food? Farming is what makes abundance possible. Farming is what enables us to give freely and share with others. When we sustain ourselves and others with healthy crops, it’s a picture of peace and unity that God desires for mankind.
Agriculture has helped establish and stabilize the economies of countless nations, including the United States. The hard work of farmers was what began the transformation of North America as we know it today.
And remarkably, God is showing us how the act of farming can transform more than just a wild continent, but also the most unlikely of places.
Before Israel was established, the Holy Land was sparsely inhabited under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. But since it was reclaimed by the Jewish people in 1948, Israel has flourished, and so has the land under Jewish dominion. It all started with farmers.
Most of the first pioneers who came to Israel were Jews fleeing persecution. They came to Israel and lived on kibbutzim, or communal farms, where they worked very hard to farm in the desert.
Their results were extraordinary.
The Israelis developed revolutionary techniques and technology to efficiently use what little water they had. At first, they grew just enough to get by.
In time, however, the once dry and desolate land the Israelis were working so hard to farm began to transform. It became easier to grow plants in the soil. Their crops yielded more and more. New technology became available to help use the limited water available even more efficiently.
Israel developed a surplus and joined the international market. Today, the nation has a thriving economy that is so diverse, it doesn’t rely on agriculture at all!
Although it may not be relied upon, agriculture is making a comeback in the Holy Land—because God has plans for Israel.
God’s Plan for Peace
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it… For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem…”—Micah 4:1-2
God has always had plans of restoring the Holy Land, and we have the opportunity to witness Him today fulfilling His promise—through the return of the Jewish people to their homeland. Today, we see the restoration of the land as well as Israel’s rise above other developing nations around her.
We are now entering the next phase of His plan:
“…They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”—Micah 4:3
The prophecy that weapons will turn into tools for farming is already in motion. Israel has taken great strides toward making peace with its enemies and neighbors, most notably by sharing water resources with its neighbor Jordan, and providing agricultural training for developing nations around the world.
Though plagued by war, Israel is on the path to peace. While God’s most important task at hand is to protect the Jewish people, ours is to help Him restore the desert. This is a battle that we can only win with an army of farmers!
God wants us to help farmers in Israel, because it is ultimately their labor that will transform the desert—just like the labor of our nation’s ancestors tamed the wilderness of North America.
How will they actually do it? Find out how the transformation of Israel’s land actually works here.
You can have an active role in this project, too—by offering support for the farmers that He brought to Israel, as well as other resources focused on restoring the land!
My Olive Tree is involved with many special restoration projects in Israel that we invite you to be a part of. Find out more and get a FREE guide here!