Introducing "The Sickle"

/ Mount Vernon Grace Brethren Church/

For some time I've given thought to writing/publishing on a regular basis, but more recently I've come to believe that The Holy Spirit is leading me to launch this blog which I'm calling The Sickle (more on the name in a minute).

To be honest, I find launching a new blog a bit intimidating because...

  • There are many unknowns: What's the plan for the blog? What will I write? What if my writing is boring or my grammar is poor? If I commit, will I be able to stay on track? What if people leave angry comments? What if I can't learn the blogging platform?
  • And then I tell myself: "I'm busy."

"I'm busy." Isn't that just a classic American line in 2017?! The truth is that, just like every other human being, I have 24 hours in 7 days each week. And I get to choose how to spend my hours. The truth is that when I choose to sacrifice time that I'm already spending on Instagram, YouTube and extra sleep (that I really don't need) I will find that I have time to blog. 

But there are still those pesky unknowns, aren't there? There are always unknowns in God's plan for our lives. These unknowns require faith (Hebrews 11:1, 6). These mysterious areas are also opportunities for us to obey — after all obedience by faith is what The Lord desires and commands. So I choose to obey in faith even though I don't know exactly where this blog is going.

Why The Sickle? As you may know, a sickle is an agricultural tool with a curved blade and a short handle (see the header image above). Sickles symbolize a harvest and are mentioned a few places in the Bible including Mark 4:26-29 where Jesus says

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

So The Sickle is more than just about me simply obeying, it's about reaping for the Kingdom of God. This harvest ties into my Pastoral call from Luke 5:1-11. I'm obeying The Spirit and launching The Sickle even though I don't fully know the answer to "how Lord?"

What simple act of faith is The Spirit calling you to DO today? Let's be fruitful for The King!

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