Imagine a young Christian, fired up for the Lord but with a knot forming in his stomach. In his sweaty palm, he holds a Gospel tract. The person he feels led to approach looks rough around the edges, his expression a mixture of impatience and irritation.

Every excuse imaginable floods the young man’s mind: He’s busy. He’ll just throw it away. He’ll probably laugh in my face. It’s not the right time. He is “observing the wind,” just as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes warns against.

By God’s grace, he pushes through the fear, hands the man the tract, mumbles something about Jesus, and quickly walks away, convinced it was a wasted effort—a seed thrown onto concrete. He never sees the man again and eventually forgets the encounter entirely.

Fast forward ten years. In a church hundreds of miles away, that same man, now cleaned up and saved, shares his testimony. He speaks of a time when he was at his wit’s end, angry at the world, when a nervous young stranger handed him a simple piece of paper.

He didn’t read it for months, but he never threw it away. That tract was the first seed that started him on a long, winding path to salvation. The sower and the reaper never met on this earth, but the seed still bore fruit.

That small, forgotten act of faith is a perfect picture of “casting bread upon the waters.”

Our walk with Christ is filled with moments like this. We are called to act, to serve, to give, and to speak, often without any guarantee of the outcome.

We live in a world that demands predictable returns on investment. But God’s economy operates on a different principle: faithful sowing, and leaving the reaping up to the Lord.

The book of Ecclesiastes, specifically chapter 11, gives us a powerful, practical guide for living boldly for Christ in uncertain times.

The Principle of Faithful Sowing (Ecclesiastes 11:1-3)

The Preacher begins with a strange and wonderful command: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days” (Eccl. 11:1).

In ancient times, this was a metaphor for sending merchant ships out to sea. A merchant would load his vessel with goods (“bread”) and send it across the vast, unpredictable waters, trusting that it would return one day with a profit. It was an act of faith. He couldn’t control the storms, the pirates, or the foreign markets. He could only control the sending.

This is a picture of the Christian life. Our “bread” is our time, our resources, our love, and most importantly, the Gospel message. God calls us to cast it generously.

• Sharing the Gospel is casting bread upon the waters. You witness to a coworker, a neighbor, or a family member, with no idea how they will respond.
• Discipling a new believer is casting bread upon the waters. You pour your time and spiritual energy into them, praying they will grow into a mature saint.
• Serving faithfully in your church is casting bread upon the waters. You teach a Sunday school class, clean the church building, or greet visitors, trusting God will use your small act to build His kingdom.

The Preacher continues, “Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth” (Eccl. 11:2). This isn’t a command for reckless abandon but for generous, diversified faithfulness. Don’t just sow in one field.

Serve in multiple ways. Witness to many people. Why? Because you don’t know what the future holds. Some efforts may fail, but by sowing broadly, you multiply the opportunities for God to bring a harvest.

Life is full of things we cannot control, just as “if the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth” (Eccl. 11:3). You can’t stop the rain, and you can’t control the spiritual climate or another person’s heart. Your job is not to manage the weather but simply to sow the seed.

The Paralysis of Perfect Conditions (Ecclesiastes 11:4-5)

Herein lies the great temptation for every Christian: waiting for the perfect moment. The Preacher diagnoses this problem perfectly: “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” (Eccl. 11:4).

This is the paralysis of analysis. The farmer who waits for the wind to stop blowing and the clouds to disappear will be left with a barn full of seed and an empty field. If we wait until we are no longer afraid, until the person seems perfectly receptive, or until we have the perfect words to say, we will never act.

The devil loves a Christian who is “observing the wind.” He will always provide a reason to wait:

• “You’re too new a Christian to share your faith.”
• “That person is too hardened; they’ll never listen.”
• “Wait until you have more money before you give to missions.”
• “You’re too busy right now to serve in that ministry.”

The antidote to this fear is a humble recognition of God’s sovereignty. As verse 5 says, “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.”

We cannot fathom the miracle of a baby forming in the womb. It is a secret, powerful work of God. In the same way, we cannot possibly understand how God takes our feeble efforts—our stammering testimony, our small act of service, our prayer for a lost soul—and uses them to perform the miracle of regeneration in a human heart.

Our job is not to understand God’s work, but to be the willing instrument He works through.

Our Role vs. God’s Role in the Harvest

This truth should be incredibly liberating. The pressure to produce results is not on us; it is on God. The Apostle Paul understood this principle well. He wrote to the church at Corinth, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Our role has two parts: planting (sharing the Gospel) and watering (discipleship, prayer, continued encouragement). That’s it. We are responsible for the faithful labor.

God’s role is to provide the increase. The miracle of new birth, the conviction of sin, and the opening of a blind spiritual eye are works of the Holy Spirit alone. You cannot argue someone into the kingdom. You cannot convince them through sheer logic. It is the Spirit that does the work.

This is why prayer is the essential first step in evangelism. Before you cast the seed of the Gospel, pray that the Holy Spirit will first plow the soil of that person’s heart, making it ready to receive the truth.

When you understand this division of labor, fear begins to lose its grip. Your task is simply obedience. The outcome belongs to the Lord.

The Call to Persistent Action (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

Understanding that the results are up to God does not lead to passivity but to persistent, relentless action. The Preacher’s final command is a call to diligence: “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Eccl. 11:6).

The faithful farmer doesn’t just sow once and hope for the best. He is constantly working. He sows from morning until evening. This is God’s command to us. Don’t just witness once. Don’t just serve for a season. Make sowing a lifestyle.

This persistence is hard, especially when you don’t see results. It’s easy to get discouraged when the seed you’ve sown seems to fall on deaf ears or a hard heart. This is why the Apostle Paul encourages us, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).

Notice the promise: we will reap in due season if we don’t quit. The timing of the harvest is determined by God. The condition for the harvest is that we don’t give up.

Your faithfulness today may be the seed that God brings to harvest ten years from now, long after you’ve forgotten you even sowed it.

Where to Cast Your Seed Today

This isn’t just theological theory; it’s a practical command for your life right now. Where has fear been causing you to “observe the wind” instead of sowing?

In Your Witnessing: Is there a coworker, neighbor, or family member God has laid on your heart? Stop waiting for the perfect moment. Pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare their heart and yours, and then take a simple step of obedience. Offer them a Gospel tract, invite them to church, or simply share what Jesus has done in your life. The result is not your responsibility.

In Your Family: Raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is a long, difficult process of sowing. You teach them the Bible, you pray with them, you model a Christian life, and often you see little immediate fruit. Do not grow weary. Keep sowing, morning and evening. God is the one who will bring the harvest in His time.

In Your Church: Perhaps you feel your service is small or insignificant. You stack chairs, make coffee, or watch children in the nursery. Do not withhold your hand! These acts of service are seeds that water the entire church body, creating a healthy environment where the Gospel can go forth and lives can be changed. You are a vital part of the work.

In Your Work: Your job is a vast field for sowing. When you work with integrity, treat others with Christ-like love, and refuse to compromise your convictions, you are sowing seeds of testimony. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Your faithful work glorifies God and may open a door for the Gospel.

Stop Watching, Start Sowing

The world is full of uncertainty, and fear is a powerful motivator. But we serve a God who is sovereign over the wind, the clouds, and the harvest. He does not call us to be successful; He calls us to be faithful. He is not asking you to predict the future, only to obey in the present.

What wind are you watching today? What clouds are you regarding as an excuse for inaction?

God’s command is simple and clear. Take the seed He has given you—the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ—and sow it.

Sow it in the morning. Sow it in the evening. Cast your bread upon the waters, trusting not in the predictability of the sea, but in the power and providence of the God who holds the oceans in His hand.

The battle is real, but your victory in Christ is certain. Go and sow boldly.