The Threshing Floor

Threshing - Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain (or other crop) from the scaly, inedible chaff that surrounds it. It is the step in grain preparation after harvesting and before winnowing, which separates the loosened chaff from the grain. Threshing does not remove the bran from the grain. Threshing may be done by beating the grain using a flail on a threshing floor. Another traditional method of threshing is to make donkeys or oxen walk in circles on the grain on a hard surface. A modern version of this in some areas is to spread the grain on the surface of a country road so the grain may be threshed by the wheels of passing vehicles. (Thank you Wikipedia!)

Threshing Floor - A threshing floor is a specially flattened surface made either of rock or beaten earth where a farmer would thresh the grain harvest.

John 16:33 - I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

For the last week and a half we had been studying Ruth in my class.  On one particular day our instructor did a study entitled:  “Redeemer at the threshing floor”.  This was the study of chapter 3 in Ruth where she goes to meet Boaz on the threshing floor and lay at his feet.  Our instructor did another comparison of Ruth and Esther in this situation.  Ruth was told to go to the threshing floor for her husband and Esther was told to go to the palace for her husband.  He surmised that the people who God puts on the threshing floor, look at the people whom God tells to go to the palace and get angry or jealous.  He knows this because he was one of them.  There are questions as to why God blesses the Esther folks with so much, meanwhile the rest of us are being beaten like grain. 

In spirit I am an Esther.  It’s been spoken over me many times and I have been able to embrace that word wholeheartedly as I’ve always loved her story.  She saved her entire race of people even in the face of what seemed like certain death.  I’ve always had trouble with Ruth’s story because I found Esther’s to be so much more heroic.  Can I just tell you that in life I rarely “feel” like Esther.  These days I am identifying with Ruth as we study her story.  This threshing floor of life idea that our instructor presented resonated with me in deep ways.  After he did the study he did a ministry time for those who felt like they had been on the threshing floor of life for quite a while and had a lot of hurt and some offense with God for His allowing it.  So of course, you don’t have to ask me twice and I was up like a dart to the front of the room.  While everyone else is sobbing, I’m standing there solid and with no tears.  The pain had been raw a few months ago, but I had felt like a window had opened when God allowed me to come to IHOP-KC so the pain was not like it was and I was doing a lot better.  I’ve recently realized I am nowhere near done with being threshed.    I’m in pain, I’m hurting and I have no idea what to do with it.  So, I am doing my best to, “give it to God on a plate. . . a plate of heart mush” as one of my good friends called it yesterday.

I keep looking back on the past few years of my life and I am trying to figure out what God was doing.  I feel like I keep loosing things and people that I thought were some of the very reasons God had me where He did for so long.  All I can do is pray that seeds were planted, God has heard all of my cries and prayers and that good will come out of the threshing I have been through. 

Redeem and restore?  I have to pray that in a way that is also about the will of the Lord being done in my life.  That means that the restoring and redeeming may not look the way I expect it to but that things are being restored in a more perfect beautiful way. 

Because the end product is always about the Lord being glorified, so therefore we have to believe that if He wants His glory to shine in these situations that it will always come out for the good of those who love him. – Romans 8:28 We are assured and know that [[j]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

So even though I may not know why I’ve been on the threshing floor and I am sad, in pain and hurting that good will one day come from what seems so broken and unmendable.  Romans 8:25 - But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure.  Habbakuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.(A)

This harvest season has not looked at all the way I always imagined.  I thought that God would finally say “okay” and I would walk off into the sunset with a huge smile on my face and sunshine pouring out of my heart.  FALSE!! There has been trial, after trial, after trial on this bumpy road to harvest.  If I remembered how hard the labor was when harvest is actually gleaned then I would not have expected it to be so smooth and awesome.  So, instead of looking back, I am going to do my best to walk ahead.  I must keep in mind that as I walk forward into that new season I have prayed and fasted so long for that many more attacks and hurts will come and my spirit must be on guard for those. Proverbs 4:23- Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

So, do not be discouraged when the harvest comes and things look worse than ever.  First remember that Satan is scared of how much damage you are about to do to his work and so he’s going to try to stop you.  Second, remember that you have the favor of the Lord over your life and joy will absolutely come.  Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.