Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Matthew 9:38 (NKJV)
As expected, the cold and snow came to Montana a few weekends ago, bringing an end to our beloved flower garden. With tears I cleaned up the wilted plants. But then I thought of Jonah who wept for a tree, when there were over 120,000 lost souls in Nineveh (Jonah 4:10–11)! I cannot weep for the plants that will grow again next year, when there are souls who have only one life to accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior and harvest time is coming soon!
Just as the pumpkins are gathered after the vines wilt; just as the corn sits in the fields awaiting the combine; so a harvest is coming upon the people of this earth. Jesus proclaimed, “Look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35) Jesus also instructed us to pray for laborers to go forth into the harvest with Him (Luke 10:2). Let’s say those prayers and be those laborers, taking the gospel to our friends and family!
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.” Luke 10:2 (NKJV)
Jesus painted many pictures of this harvest. He compared it to separating sheep on His right and goats on His left (Matthew 25:31–33). He said it’s like sifting wheat kernels from the chaff (Psalm 1:4, Luke 3:17) or wheat from the tares (Matthew 13:30). Jesus compared the wicked to grapes being trampled in the winepress of His wrath (Revelation 14:19). Where do we want to be on that day? We want to be His sheep on the right, safe under the shadow of His wings with all our loved ones, far away from the chaff, tares and trampled winepress.
His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. Luke 3:17 (NKJV)
How can we make sure we are the good wheat and not the chaff? How can we be certain we are saved? As Paul said to the jailer who asked him that very question, “Believe on Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved both you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. John 6:47 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:40 (NKJV)
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
And when this harvest comes someday, we will be both in the saved sheaves of wheat, and helping Jesus gather sheaves of grain! Think about it! The person who led us to Christ will be gathering her sheaves and we will be in them. And we will be gathering sheaves of those we led to Christ. And all of us in all our sheaves will gather around the throne of our Lord Jesus. And just as the sheaves bowed to Joseph so long ago (Genesis 37:7), we will bow and worship the Lord! HalleluYAH!
…He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Micah 4:12 (NKJV)
So now instead of weeping that the summer flowers have ended, I can join the trees in their beautiful praise of colors. As the wind blows the leaves, I can clap my hands for the Creator. And when those leaves fall to the ground, and I crunch them underfoot, I smell the scent of autumn that takes me back to my cross-country running days, a time in my life when I lost everything so I could gain heaven.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:6 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Read Matthew 13. How can you prepare for the upcoming fall harvest? Ask Jesus to be your Savior and then go tell a friend. Consider a short-term mission or helping at your local food bank. Ask your pastor how you can help. And someday, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves!
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12 (NKJV)
…he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 1 Corinthians 9:10 (NKJV)
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. James 5:7 (NKJV)
(Take some time to read a few of these harvest verses and parables this week: Ruth 2; Psalm 1:4, 107:37, 129:5–7; Isaiah 28:23–29; Jeremiah 15:7; Joel 3:13; Matthew 3:10–12, 10:22, 15:13; Mark 4:3–9, 4:26–29; Luke 3:9, 8:4–15, 13:6–19; John 4:34–38, 15:6; 1Corinthians 9:8–12; Revelation 14:14–20, 19:15)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.