Every fortnight people from a farming background, or who have a heart for the countryside in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, offer a personal reflection on faith and rural life. They hope that you will be encouraged by it.

We are in the middle of a very busy time of year for farmers, whether it’s spring-planted crops to be harvested or final cuts of silage; round bales to be brought in or potatoes to be dug.

For those of us housing cattle, there will be the usual ‘inspection’ of our buildings, to make sure everything is ready to welcome our animals. Others have stock to sell, with meticulous preparation needed to make sure they achieve their full potential in the sale ring. Yet, with the busyness, comes a sense of satisfaction, in seeing the fruits of our labour, as we survey what has been accomplished, through careful planning and hard work.

When we had a dairy herd, there was immense pleasure in seeing our cows milk well. Or witnessing a new batch of home-bred heifers take their place in the herd. In recent years, the cows have been swapped for sourcing quality beef breeding heifer replacements, or supplying well-made weanlings.

Staked bales of silage are a familiar sight at this time of the year

placeholder image — Staked bales of silage are a familiar sight at this time of the year

Farmers derive deep enjoyment from tasting the fruits of our labour. Yet, this is far from the whole story. Every farmer knows that there is something extra, that added ingredient, which is needed to make all our planning and hard work really fruitful.

Some call this added extra ‘luck’, although, I’ve never heard anyone talk about luck with much conviction or enthusiasm. It seems to ring hollow in our hearts and minds – that look for meaning, purpose and hope.

For farmers like me who follow Jesus, we know that ‘luck’ is not the missing ingredient that fuels our farms. Instead, we have come to understand that God is the One we need, to be at work on our behalf and to bless us.

Indeed, what we all need, most of all, is for God’s Son, Jesus, to work on our behalf.

This is because Jesus has done what we cannot do for ourselves – He has taken our sin and died for it, bearing God’s just judgement that should fall upon us. God’s Word, the Bible, puts it perfectly, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Our sin, our straying away from God, has made us spiritually dead, powerless to come back to God by our own efforts. We therefore need God desperately to make us alive spiritually and bring us to Jesus, to enjoy His forgiveness. Jesus’ forgiveness of those who trust in Him, strengthens us with His peace, and fills us with His certain hope.

If all this talk of being fuelled by Jesus’ forgiveness makes no sense to you, may I encourage you to trust in Jesus, who has reached down to you, as He died for you?

Come to Jesus and trust in His death to lift the unbearable weight of your sin and guilt off your sagging shoulders. Come to Jesus and trust that when He rose from the grave, He did so to beat death for you, and bring you instead God’s forever life.

Fuel for busy farmers? Whether you realise it or not, Jesus is the One you desperately need. And, if you are already trusting in Him, know that, day-by-day, and forever, you are fuelled by His forgiveness. Jesus strengthens you with His peace and fills you with His certain hope.

Rev Kenny Hanna is the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s first Rural Chaplain. Growing up on the family farm in the Kingdom of Mourne, he began serving in parish ministry in 2001 in Glenwherry. Prior to his appointment as Rural Chaplain, he was minister of Second Dromara Presbyterian Church for 10 years. He continues to farm part-time.

If you would like to talk to someone about any of the issues raised in this article, please email Kenny at [email protected] or call him on 07938 488 372.