This message is inspired by a journal post that I wrote in 2014. I pray that it blesses you just as I am blessed by it.
\ˈhär-vəst\ the season when crops are gathered from the fields or the activity of gathering crops.
When I hear the word “harvest” I think of receiving something and having an expectation. I also envision fresh fruit and vegetables gathered from crops.
“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” – Genesis 8:22 NLT
In life we have many harvests. There are plentiful harvests and poor harvests. There is a principle in the earth of giving & receiving; sowing & reaping. For a crop to produce ripe fruit and vegetation, good soil and care are needed.
“A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” – Mark 4:3-8 NLT
When you sow seeds, with proper care, they grow out of the ground. Reaping is the process of cutting away. Jesus informed His followers that the time was now to reap the benefits of their labor.
God was a giver and He gave sacrificially. We should not give conditionally but sacrificially. The harvest after your suffering will come.
We are recipients of the promises of God but let us be mindful of what we sow in the earth. When you bless others, blessings will come to you. When you curse others, curses will come to you. When God blesses you, no man can curse you (Isaiah 54:17). Sometimes you may be discouraged when you bless others and don’t see results right away. But have courage; God sees you and will reward you (Matthews 6:3,4).
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. – Galatians 6:9 NLT
I encourage you to reach out to God today; show Him that You are available to be used. Sow acts of kindness, sacrifice, wisdom and love.
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” – Matthew 9:37,38 NLT
Life to Your Soul 