The Harvest

The Harvest


Throughout the Bible, The Lord uses agricultural examples to paint word pictures of His will and His ways. Some of the most powerful of these pictures are those of harvesting. God teaches us about the harvesting of souls for eternal life in heaven.

• John 4:35-36 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
• He also teaches us about the harvesting of souls that will experience His wrath (see Revelation 14).

The spiritual harvest of a Christian occurs at the moment of their understanding, belief and acceptance of the free gift of salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and Ephesians 1:13). But before the harvest, a seed must be sown, the seed must be watered, and the seed must die, grow and be guaranteed to bring forth fruit. The Lord of the harvest allows His children to participate in this glorious process. Christians are laborers in God’s field.

 

 

Sowing

• Mark 4:3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
• Mark 4:14 The sower sows the word.
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
• Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
• The Word of God must be sown in the heart of an unbeliever. A person must understand the truth about who Jesus is and what He did (died for the sins of the world) to be saved from God’s wrath against sin. The truth about Jesus is the only way to God. We are commanded to go and share this truth (see the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20).

 

Watering

• Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
• 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
• 2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
• John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
• The way we live, the things we say about Jesus, and the authority and responsibility to share the truth about God waters the seeds that are planted.

 

Dying/Growing/Bearing

• 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
• Mark 4:20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
• Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
• 1 Corinthians 15:36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
• Salvation in Jesus Christ is a glorious gift from God. Only He can make the seed of His Word grow in the heart of an unbeliever. And each one that hears and accepts the truth will bear some amount of fruit. We are spiritually raised from the dead in Christ when we accept Him as Savior. We receive our eternal body after our earthly body dies and Christ returns to claim His bride.

 

Harvesting

• Psalm 107:1-3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.
• Luke 10:2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
• Pray that God will use every Christian to plant and water seeds, and that He will send laborers to participate in the harvest.

 

Celebrating

• Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
• Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
• There is a joyous celebration in Heaven each time a person confesses Christ, repents of their sins and becomes a follower of Jesus.

 

 

I pray for the harvest;

 

Lord, put me to work in Your field!

 

 

Prayer

 

Holy Father in Heaven, use Your children to plant and water the seeds of truth in this lost and dying world. Give the increase by the gift of faith. Draw sinners to Yourself for eternal life. May the harvest be great and the Heavenly celebration be endless! I praise You and love You and ask these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

  

Even Through Our Mistakes

Even Through Our Mistakes


No matter how hard we try, whether we deliberately rebel against God or unintentionally do something that doesn’t align with His will, we cannot prevent God’s purposes and plans from being fulfilled. 

• Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
• Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’
• Acts 5:38-39 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”

God’s purposes and plans are elevated above man’s decisions and intentions.

• Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Here are two examples of God’s sovereign plan being fulfilled despite man’s shortcomings.


King David’s Sin
Despite David committing adultery and murder, and the personal anguish associated with this sin, God’s promise to him was fulfilled – David had a son named Solomon and a descendent named Jesus.

God’s Covenant with David

• 2 Samuel 7:12-13 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

David’s Sin

• 2 Samuel 11:4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.
• 2 Samuel 11:15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”

Consequences of David’s Sin

• 2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
• 2 Samuel 12:19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?”

God’s Plans Fulfilled

Short-term Fulfillment – Solomon

• 2 Samuel 12:24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him,
• 1 Kings 1:34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

Ultimate Fulfillment – Jesus

• Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
• Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

The Apostle Peter’s Denial
Despite Peter’s lies about not being a follower of Christ, and the personal anguish associated with his denial, Christ’s call for him to follow was accomplished – Peter’s relationship with Christ was reconciled, he faithfully followed Jesus as a leader in the early church and he was martyred for the name of Christ.

Jesus’ Challenge to Peter

• Mark 1:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Peter’s Sin

Predicted

• Mark 14:30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

Fulfilled

• Mark 14:71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

Consequences of Peter’s Sin

• Mark 14:72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

God’s plan fulfilled

• John 21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Even through our mistakes:

God’s purposes and plans are accomplished

• Joshua 21:43 So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.
• Luke 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

God’s character is revealed

• Isaiah 63:7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.

God’s children are blessed

• Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Prayer

Faithful Heavenly Father, Your Word contains so many examples of how Your purposes and plans are fulfilled despite the shortcomings of Your children. Please help us accept and trust Your sovereignty. Please alleviate our anguish and help us accept and acknowledge the forgiveness and love of Jesus Christ. Your purposes and plans depend on Your character and power, not us. Praise to You for Your perfection and mercy. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.