There has been quite a trend going on in our society lately, of buying and raising chickens, which possibly began during the pandemic. It began to emerge and take off more than ever before at that time, because we had a huge ‘supply and demand’ problem due to lack of transportation, amongst other issues. Then to add insult to injury, we were hit with the ‘largest global outbreak of bird flu’ in December 2022, that has ever been seen, affecting fuel prices once again, which in turn put a strain on chicken feed and packaging, and caused a shortage on eggs. This saw the trend take off even more prolifically.
Except for my Aunt Dorothy who I visited in Louisiana as a child, decades ago, my only exposure to the thought of people buying their own chickens has been during Easter time over the years. I have seen baby chicks being sold at Tractor Supply and our local CO-OP store, as well as baby turkeys around Thanksgiving time. I just thought these were for children as a cute type of gift as a pet, or for them to raise for their 4 H-club activities and competitions. However, since the outbreak of the bird-flu, the trend is not for children, but for adults who are buying them to raise for food. They are ‘trying to live off the land,’ so as not to be caught without, if another shortage should arise, not to mention the hiked prices we are facing right now. It really is difficult to afford groceries these days; therefore, having eggs to eat and use for baking and cooking, and chickens to eat for that matter, is a huge benefit.
However, with all that being said, the consensus is that it is not necessarily a free, inexpensive, or a one-time cost venture. After the chickens are purchased, they will need a coop to live in for their safety from coyotes, foxes, and other potential predators to protect your investment. Feed must be purchased for them to eat. There will also be the investment of your time and effort in feeding them, keeping the coop, and surrounding yard areas clean. As with any animal, they need attention. The laid eggs will have to be harvested daily by hand, and you are not going to know how many eggs you will get from your chickens. If any eggs hatch, there will then be baby chicks to care for. There are no exact calculations that can be made as to what your profit, if any, will be. The only thing you must go by are the testimonials of those who have already raised chickens, and even then, it is not an exact science. Different environments, such as the altitude or weather could garner a completely different result. It will be trial and error. You buy a basket of chickens thinking they are going to produce all you will ever need and more, until the day you die, but you have no idea what to expect. So, if you are thinking of following this trend, of being a chicken owner and raiser, take all of this into consideration, because you should not count your chickens before they hatch.
Jesus tells us in Luke 14:27-30, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish.” This is a simple yet profound concept. There may be contractors today who do not know this scripture exists, yet this principle has been passed down to them from their forerunners, mentors, or supervisors, or they may have had to learn this from the school of hard knocks, by trial and error. Jesus said, if you fall short, that unfinished project and all who see it are going to mock you and drive you crazy.
In the home improvement TV shows that are airing these days, there is always talk of a contingency fund, for this very reason. They meet with their clients; they decide what is wanted and needed for the renovation project and the customers go to live with a family member or in a rented apartment until the job is completed and ready for the big reveal. They begin by demolishing walls and items in the home that are slated to be totally redone, before putting everything back together like brand new. Only to find out when a wall or two comes down, that the house has termites that will have to be exterminated, or that the paint on the popcorn ceiling they are wanting to scrape off has lead in it, which calls for special hazmat suits, or there is asbestos in the flooring that will have to be taken up by a specialized team of workers, or the wall is load bearing, therefore a beam must be installed by an engineer, to support the weight of the house, or there is water in the basement, making it necessary to regrade the outside of the home for drainage and the list could go on and on.
Everything must be done to code, such as the electrical wiring in the house and plumbing and must be redone if the original house did not meet the requirements. This translates into even more unexpected costs. These are things the clients could never have seen just by touring the home with their realtor. Well, with all these discoveries, come extra costs that were not accounted for in the original budget; therefore, they always have a contingency fund worked into the budget, that they can fall back on for the surprise costs. If that fund is not enough, the clients may have to take something off their wish list to get the absolutes of the project completed. In the renovation process, you cannot count your chickens before they hatch.
There is a story of two kings that we see in the book of 1 Kings 20. The King of Israel, Ahab, and the King of Syria, Benhadad. They were at war, and Benhadad had taken Samaria, and began to make demands of King Ahab, to hand over his silver, gold, wives, and children. Ahab agreed, however, it seems that Benhadad suspected a tone of sarcasm because they did not trust one another. So Benhadad tells Ahab, he will send his servants to procure all that he had demanded, to which Ahab responded by telling his men to watch out because Benhadad was up to a no good scheme, and he would not allow his servants to come into get anything of his feeling that his word was enough. Benhadad was insulted and furious and swore an oath that he would destroy him. Ahab’s reply is classic, in 1 Kings 20:11, in the KJV it reads, “And the king of Israel answered and said, tell him, let not him that girds on his harness boast himself as he that puts it off.” And in the ESV, it reads, “And the king of Israel answered, tell him, ‘Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.” Essentially, he just said, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, buster!”
Because God hates pride as we see in Proverbs 16:18 which says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” he decided to help Israel in this situation. He told Ahab to send his two hundred and thirty-two princes out to fight the seven thousand men of Syria who were encamped around them, so that when the battle was won, they would know that He was God. They obeyed, but it was not a complete victory because King Benhadad was not killed. This emboldened the drunken king Benhadad even more and he said, in verse twenty-three, “Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore, they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” However, God does not back down to smack talk! He responded, in verse 28, “And there came a man of God, and spoke unto the king of Israel, Ahab, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” Mic drop! The scripture says that the Israelites looked like two small ‘flocks of kids’ against the vast numbers of Syrians who filled the countryside. But when God is on your side numbers do not matter. Verses 29-30 says, “and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand of the men that were left, But Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.”
Even with all of God’s help bringing victory to them in that battle, the story did not end well for Ahab, because though Benhadad was a scoundrel, and a bragger, even against God, he was a wimp, went into hiding, and tried to negotiate and whine to Ahab to spare his life, which Ahab did. Goodness gracious, why would he do that? God told him in verse forty-two, “Thus saith the Lord, because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.” Bottom line was that they were both cowards. They hotdogged around, spouted off, boasting of what they would do to the other, and both ended up insulting the One True God who had stepped in to save his people when needed. Ahab did not listen to his own words and take his own advice to ‘not boast when putting on your armor, before the battle is even fought’ but to wait until the battle is over and the dust settles. He did not follow through. He did not get the job done. The enemy was still alive, which would be his ultimate demise. He counted his chickens before they hatched!
We receive wonderful and practical life lessons from James 1:19-22 which tells us, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” He later says in James 4:12-17, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judges another? Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore, to him that knows to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” We must not only be cautious about boasting, but even more importantly boasting against God. He alone is worthy of the Glory and Honor for anything good that is accomplished in our lives.
The short children’s story called, ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ from Aesop’s Fables goes something like this,
A hare was making fun of a tortoise one day for being so slow. “Do you ever get anywhere?” he asked with a laugh and a smile. “Yes,” replied the tortoise, “and I get there sooner than you think.” The hare didn’t believe her. After all, the tortoise had a large shell on her back. Each shell is big and heavy, but the tortoise’s legs were short. “I’m twice as fast as you,” said the hare. “You think so, do you?” said the tortoise. She continued, “Let’s have a race to find out.” “Haha,” the hare laughed. “You really want to have a race against me? If you really want to, then let’s do it. This is going to be a joke.” “Say what you want, but at the end of the day, I’m coming in first,” the tortoise replied. The hare and tortoise agreed to run one kilometer. They asked a fox to be the judge. The fox announced, “Three … two … one … start!” The hare started off quickly. In just one minute, the hare was down the road and out of sight.
After running for a while, the hare got bored. He felt bad, because he challenged the tortoise to a race where everyone knows tortoises are one of the slowest animals in the world. To keep things interesting, he sat down under a tree to take a nap and wait for the tortoise to catch up. The tortoise was slow, as tortoises always have been. Little by little, the tortoise ran down the road. She ran at a slow but steady pace, and she kept her speed even. After ten minutes, the tortoise passed the tree where the hare sat sleeping. The tortoise was focused on the race, though, and she didn’t even see him there. Five minutes later, the tortoise crossed the finish line.
“Congratulations!” said the fox. “You came in first place.” Right then, the hare came running up the road. He woke up from his nap, but it was too late. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race.
It sure seems like the hare tried to count his chickens before they hatched!
When we are uplifted in our own eyes with pride and are constantly boasting and bragging about what we have done and can do, we will be blindsided by those who are quiet but steady, slow but humble. The hare was so full of himself that he did not even know that the tortoise had overtaken him. Confidence is not a bad trait to have, however, being overconfident within our own abilities can lead to arrogance and pride, which is the precursor to our downfall and defeat as we see in the story. The hare was waiting for the demise of the tortoise to boost his own ego once again. Everything was all about him. As the tape broke from the tortoise’s shell at the finish line, the hare felt humiliation at his loss. Jesus spoke of the pride of Israel because of their rejection of the Messiah, in Matthew 21:44, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” James 4:10 puts it this way, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” It is better for us to remain humble than to suffer humiliation by others or the hand of God.
We must keep in mind when someone is boasting, whether in a job situation, on the home front, in ministry, etc., that those in the limelight are responsible for about ten percent, if that, of the effort, work, and success of any given project. The remaining ninety percent are the real workers, and driving force, who are slow and steady, and making things happen. Often, the boasters and braggers are mostly talk and no action. We were taught as youngsters in Bible College that a church will not grow beyond what the pastor can lead. This sadly means that he is going to need help and give others the credit to see the church he is pastoring grow and thrive. Additions to the staff, such as an Assistant Pastor, Secretary, Sunday School teachers, and division leaders, will be needed. There will have to be collaboration and teamwork that happens for the congregation to flourish and grow both numerically and spiritually. The focus can no longer be on himself. Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another…”
There will be no accolades, trophies, awards, or pats on the back for you or anyone else before action is taken. There will be no story to tell, if a life has not been lived, and there will be no testimonies without there first being tests. We cannot get the cart before the horse or count our chickens before they hatch. There is another saying that states, “give credit to whom credit is due.” This proverb is an acknowledgement that a contribution was made by someone; therefore, they are receiving praise for it. Luke 10:7 says, “And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire…” Wages are not given until a job has been done. Paychecks are not handed out as you go in the door, but as you go out, and memories of a fun vacation cannot be made if you never embark on the journey. “Let not him that puts on his armor boast himself as he that takes it off.”
With the passing of family members in the last few years, I have witnessed a mentality that I had not really noticed before; People quibbling about what they will inherit while the parties are still living. An inheritance is determined and revealed by the Will and Testament of the Testator, after their death. It is very presumptuous and insulting to me, to think that someone would strip another of their belongings while they are still living. Ephesians1:13-14 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Though we have received a small downpayment, according to the Will and Testament of Jesus, we will not receive our inheritance, the ‘crown of righteousness,’ until we have lived our life in obedience and uprightness toward God and stand before Him on the judgement day. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” It will be worth the wait and all the effort!
To conclude this thought, my admonition would be from the Proverbs, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” “Whoso boasts himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.” “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Let us not be puffed up, boasting, and then be cowardly and wimp out when God has called us to a particular ministry or task. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 tells us, “When thou vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” Acts 17:30 tells us, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” God is not about us being puffed up, or happy for that matter. He wants to build our character to be in His likeness. So, give Him control, boast only of His righteousness, stay humble, and do not count your chickens before they hatch.