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Jun 27, 2023 18:30pm

Chaff or Grain

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I may have been raised way out in the country, but we didn’t have a farm. There’s a lot of agricultural terms and processes that I’m unfamiliar with. One of which is harvesting grain.

Have you ever wondered about how they get that little piece of grain out of the husk so it can be prepared for use? I love watching videos or reading about “how to” or “how they do that”.

Here’s a quick little rundown of the process. The wheat grows on stalks and the stalks are cut down. They are bundled together to make sheaths and are stacked with the wheat heads upright so they can dry out. Then, there are a few options. If you have modern machinery, this next step is automatic. You put the wheat in and the machine does it for you. However, if you were to do it by hand, there’s a few steps.

The stalks are taken to what’s called the threshing floor. A fan, also known as a winnowing fork, is used to blow on the stalk heads. The dried chaff, the useless part of the wheat, is blown off and the remaining piece, the grain is then collected to get ready for use or to sell.

Luke 3:15-18

“And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.”

These people had been raised to read the scriptures and knew the words of the old prophets telling of the coming Messiah. They wondered if John was the promised One because of the way he spoke. But, John set them straight quickly, making sure to point them to Jesus, not himself.

As he speaks about Jesus, he makes a comparison to a farmer that is harvesting wheat. To these people, this process is well known and they’ve probably seen it or done it a thousand times. It was part of their everyday life.

“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable”.

They knew what the fan was and what it was for. They knew what the floor meant and what it would look like for it to be purged or cleared. They knew a garner was a storehouse and it was the useful, valuable piece of the stalk to the farmer. And they knew that chaff was dried out and useless, blowing off into the wind, without life, without hope. They knew.

So this example, it hit home. It was an eye opener. The grain that was gathered is an example of those that would believe in the Messiah and follow Him, allowing Him to use them for His greater purpose. The chaff was an example of those that rejected Him. And their fate was to be burned in unquenchable fire.

Many repented and committed their lives to following God. What will it take for you?

What example do you need that will hit home? Maybe it’s not agriculture or farming terms, but there is something you relate with. Something that makes sense and hits deep.

What do you do about it?

Ask yourself some questions. Have you ever confessed to God that you believe in Him and that you are a sinner in need of His salvation? Have you committed your life to following Him by reading His word, getting into a local church and being baptized to declare your faith with others?

Maybe there are still questions in your mind and you’re not really sure where you fit. You might believe in Jesus and you asked Him to save you when you were younger, but now, now that you have some life experiences, you kind of doubt a few things. And it seems like you have more questions than answers. Did you know that’s okay? That’s a natural response for some? Jesus is drawing you to Him. He knows your heart and the questions you want to ask before you do. But do you realize that the more you seek out answers, the more you are seeking Him? You are spending more time with His word than ever before. Eventually, you’ll realize that He’s a BIG God, and as much as we search we can never fully understand His magnitude and reasoning. His ways are above ours. His will may not look like what we thought. And then, it comes down to a choice…

Will you have faith in Him? Will you trust that He is the Son of God, that He died and was buried and three days later rose again? Will you believe that He is all-powerful and knows what’s best for your life? Will you trust that He can save you and that it is eternal when He does and nothing can separate you from His love? Will you give your life to Him to use you for His glory because He is worthy?

You can be chaff or grain.

The choice is yours.