Ecclesiastes 11 verse 4

VERSEFOUR


Now the passage in the next three verses warn us against being slothful and  easily discouraged in the labour for lost souls.
Verse four tells us not to be excusing ourselves by looking at the circumstances around us. In this instance the sower is not casting the seed  because of the wind. Notice that he is ‘observing’ the wind; he is excusing himself because of the circumstances which are happening around him. These circumstances can be many and varied in our own lives: persecution, depression, financial problems or the hardness in maen's hearts.      
The second half of the verse warns against ‘regarding’. Here the reaper is thinking that it might rain due to seeing heavy clouds in the sky and thus is tempted to put off reaping to another day.(John 4:35-37) He is looking at events which might take place. Sometimes this can be more off putting than events which are happening around us since the mind can cook up all sorts of fearful scenarios. The truth is that we should not allow anything to distract our attention from the great commission which Jesus gave to the disciples: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.(Mark16:15)