Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest (Proverbs 14:4).

My wife and I run together through a new home subdivision. Often the street is filled with red clay from the bulldozers as they clear the land to lay the foundation. The job site is littered with lumber, all sorts of trash from workers, and is generally a mess. The house looks ugly; it has all its insides exposed as it is being pieced together, yet this process is necessary to get to the finished product. When completed, the home is beautiful. The landscaping looks like it came out of a home design magazine. Everything is clean and perfect for that new homeowner to move in.

Our walk with God is much the same process. Often we must go through a messy period of our lives in which all aspects of it are in disarray. It is in these times that God is building a new structure. He might be removing some structural timbers in our lives and replacing them with new ones. He might even be adding on another room. However, unless this process takes place, we will never get to see the end product. The goal is more Christlikeness. In order to achieve this in us, He requires a period of removing all that is not of Him. It can be a painful process.

It would be impossible to keep oxen in a barn without having to clean up the mess from time to time. It just comes with the territory, but the fruit of the oxen is an abundant harvest. God may be allowing a mess in order to ensure a fruitful harvest in your life. Learn from Him so that you might experience the fulfillment of His purposes for you in these times.