Harvest is Happening

Photo Credit: Brooke Sprung

Driving through the country side in Iowa this time of year makes you think of one thing - harvest. The other day as I went down the road I saw combines rolling and grain carts moving and I grew excited. That excitement quickly turned to shock.

We had not yet started combining and I was honestly surprised by my feelings. You see I've been a farmer's wife for 16+ years and a farmer's daughter all my life, I know a few things about harvest. The first being is it is work. Fall on the farm is busy and it can even be a bit stressful. The days are long and the nights are short.

Anticipation of the season has never brought excitement in me personally. Honestly, at times I've dreaded it, so I found myself surprised with my enthusiasm for a job that changes our routine. I found myself pausing my thoughts and really started thinking about harvest.

For a farmer this should be an exciting time...it's when we see the fruit of our labor. My husband started preparing for this after he harvested last year's crop. The kids and I played a part this summer as we picked rock and pulled weeds. We've invested so it should be exciting to see that come to fruition.

As God usually does, He used a farming experience to get me thinking about a spiritual concept. While observing field after field of corn and beans, Jesus' words in Matthew 9:37 came to mind. Here he tells His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..."

Friend, are there people around you that need to hear about Jesus? Are there souls that need to be "harvested" for the kingdom? Are there opportunities for you to be the hands and feet of Jesus? How do you look at this? Does it excite you? Or do you see work? Busyness? Changes to your already full schedule?

Pause and pray. Ask God to give you excitement for the harvest. Surrender your plans and tell Him of your willingness to be a worker. Press on and remember Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

My thoughts didn't stop there as the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart, "God has a harvest to do you in you as well." Instantly, Galatians 5:22-23 came to mind. Paul says "but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

God doesn't have to wait until October to gather this harvest, this is fruit He should reap everyday. Just like our Heavenly Father grows our corn and beans, He is working in our lives, but we have a part.

John 15:5 says, "I (Jesus) am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart form me you can do nothing." Friend, we must stay connected to Christ and abide in God's Word so that there will be a spiritual harvest.

There are things a farmer must do in order to grow a crop and the same is true for disciples of Christ who want to produce fruit. We find a valuable piece of the puzzle in John 12:24. Here we read of the importance of surrender - "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

Harvest time is rewarding, but it doesn't come easily. Life on the farm can be hard and it requires a lot of work. The same is true for us as disciples of Jesus. We are new creations, but we still battle our old selves and sin, so discipline is necessary. It helps us grow. That growth leads to fruit. So may we remember Hebrews 12:11 - "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Our corn is constantly growing, but harvest doesn't take place immediately. It's a process and there are stages of growth. The same is true for us, so as your excitement for harvest grows remember patience is needed. James 5:7 says, "Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

Friend, we started harvesting beans yesterday and a few hours in my excitement started to fade. The work can be overwhelming and the busyness of only day one can be defeating. As I left the field after helping my husband, I prayed for perspective. I asked the Lord of the harvest for eyes to see, a heart that understands and a body willing to work. And today, He provided encouragement from His Word. In 2 Corinthians 9:10 we read, "Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."

The harvest is happening! Let's be thankful for God's work and excited for the opportunity to join Him in reaping all that's been sown! Remember, God will give us all we need to do the work harvesting requires!