Saturday, July 30, 2011

the harvest


John 4:34-36
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me,
and to finish His work.
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months
and then the harvest’?

sunset18

Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes
and look at the fields,
for they are already white for harvest!
And he who reaps receives wages,
and gathers fruit for eternal life,
that both he who sows and he who reaps
may rejoice together.”

Copy of September 008
Think about that. I’ve lived my whole life in a farming town; the farmers (of whom my dad is one) are constantly measuring the days, the weather, and all the other elements that play into when a field becomes ready for harvest. They plant at just the right time so that the whole field will ripen in the dry days of summer, when the grain can be harvested safely.

The spiritual field Jesus is talking about is a little bit different. It covers the entire world, which God “planted” thousands of years ago with two seeds named Adam and Eve. Uniquely, the whole field does not ripen at the same time; one stalk—one person—may be ready for harvest when the one beside it isn’t. But we, the laborers, need to be ready when our crop is.

Matthew 9:37, 38
Then He said to His disciples,
“The harvest truly is plentiful,
but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into His harvest.”


If a crop is neglected at harvest time, it goes to total waste. Animals and birds pick through the grain heads; wind and rain scatter the chaff and leave the rest to rot back into the ground. I can’t imagine the Lord’s heartbreak when He sees His people ignore a ready field.

Harvest-ready fields are everywhere. I’ve always hoped to spend time “harvesting” in a foreign country where I’d feel truly needed, but in truth, the readiness of a field isn’t measured by how far it is from home. Sometimes the field that’s at its peak is the one you live in.

September 049

19 comments:

  1. Beautiful words and thoughts ~ and a timely reminder :) Thank-you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. how touching! Love this passage of scripture & the pictures are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What great photos to go with the verses! Great shots!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great words and fabulous photos!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great shots and verses! Our fields are as far as yours are, but slowly they are getting there!

    ReplyDelete
  6. A wonderful post, and I adore that second photo! Just lovely! So glad I found your blog over at scripture and a snapshot today :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. these are wonderful captures. The truth of this verse is steadfast.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Visiting from Sunday Scripture and a Snapshot...

    What an amazing post. Your photography sets off your message. Nicely done...

    ReplyDelete
  9. All of these pictures are beautiful, as are your written words. My Uncle farms wheat in Kansas, so I understand the harvesting analogy is rich for me, too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love your photos...reminds me of Kansas too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These are gorgeous photos and such true words!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love harvest time... and I can't wait for the Lord's harvest!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You explained this passage of Scripture so well. You have given it depth of meaning for me. And the photos are beautiful!
    Blessings,
    Janis

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this. Both the thoughts and the photos. Students I work with are always wanting to go far away in order to serve the Lord - it's a struggle to help them realize - the field is their own back yard, their classroom - their own family....

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...