Craig Schaaf (@Schaafcraig)

Resting The Land By Faith Ten years ago, I was in my sugar shack boiling maple syrup, and the Lord brought to my mind a conversation I had had with a friend that had decided to give his maple trees a sabbath rest, and not tap them for a year. I ask the Lord if that was what He wanted me to do the next season. As I prayed more about it, I felt like the Lord wanted me to do even more, and take a year off farming and growing for the restaurant. The only thing I had peace to grow that season, was garlic and potatoes, in order to continue to maintain the seed stock. I went to the chef, that I had been growing for for many years, and asked him if he could bless me to take a season off to rest the land. His reaction was immediately "what are you going to do"? In other words, how are you going to provide for your family? After I assured him the Lord would provide, he gave me his blessing. I told him since I was letting him down by having to find someone to fulfill what I would typically grow, I would understand if he gave the account to someone else from then on. One of my favorite quotes is: "until you allow God, to put you in a place, that unless He acts, you will be an utter failure, you will not see the power of God". I enjoy it when God does this in my life, if I truly know it is Him that has put me there. Something you would need to understand about my life, is that I never have advertised any of my businesses I have had in the last 25 years. When I was a carpenter, I just depended on word of mouth and the Lord orchestrating jobs according to His plan. I never lacked work, and it always seemed to fall in place, the amount he wanted me to do. When I made the transition into farming, there was a point that no more carpentry work was coming in. The phone was silent. Then all these years later, without telling anyone what was happening, my phone started to ring again, just like before. This was about two weeks after I was settled in my mind that that is what the Lord wanted. In fact something that was truly amazing, was that a remodel job I had done many years earlier, had a pipe burst and flood the cottage badly. The owner didn’t know what he was going to do, because I had done all custom cedar trim throughout. He thought I was farming and wouldn’t be available. I was able to totally restore the work I had previously done, during this time away from farming. This really worked to build my faith and confidence in hearing God's voice. After the land had been rested, my phone stopped ringing again and the chef was really excited I was going to grow again the next season. He had a really difficult time trying to find someone to replace what I had been doing for him. These kinds of experiences have really helped me to develop a confidence in my Heavenly Father. A confidence in discerning His voice, and a confidence in knowing He will always provide, if I am faithful to do His will. Often times people will ask me how I know it is God that is asking something of me. How do I know it is His voice, and not just my own thoughts, or wishes expressing themselves? It comes with spending time with Him. That is the only way you can get to know someone, is by relating to them often. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The key is being diligent to know His voice. If you are, you will know it. Jesus said: John 10:4-5 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. If you don’t have a clarity in understanding God’s voice, it could be because you have not really had a strong desire to spend time with Him. That is not meant to put you down. But rather to spur you on, to diligently seek Him. May God bless you as you diligently seek Him!