Harvest Time - Devotions for 4-24-24

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then the harvest?’ Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” John 4:35

            It is wonderful to have a beautiful spring day. Outside my window there are people digging in the soil, pulling weeds, and planting plants and seeds. The grass has greened up and needs a mower to make it look all nice and beautiful and there are still a few daffodils blooming. God is doing His thing in making the world turn green and start growing. Soon the trees will leaf out and provide shade for the hot summer months ahead. It is into that world Jesus says the harvest is ready for workers to go into the fields and bring in the harvest.

            So, why am I talking about harvest? What was Jesus saying when the harvest then was still four months away, about the same as for us today in the fresh spring sunshine? The normal harvest is not for several months yet. Why mention harvest in the spring?

            The harvest Jesus was talking about was not the wheat harvest. There were no grapes ready to be picked and turned into wine. No olives were ripe on the trees and ready for the olive presses to turn into oil. The harvest Jesus was referring to, and which is ready even now in our time, is the harvest of souls. People need the Lord. People are ready for a touch from God on their lives and some are ready to come to faith in Jesus. The harvest of souls is ripe for workers to go into that field and tell people about the savior.

            Yesterday I poked my head into an office where a lady I know was working. But she was not her normal self, she looked weary and sad. The weight of the world was heavy on her shoulders and her co-worker, in the same office noticed it too. She nodded her head toward me, indicating that her co-worker needed help.

            Maybe that is you today, in need of help, in need of a touch from the savior. Maybe that is your neighbor, co-worker or a relative you just talked with. In the case of this office worker, it was that a friend had died suddenly, he had a heart attack and was just gone. He was there in the morning but gone in the afternoon. Her friend died and it was weighing heavily on her heart.

            That sort of thing, along with many other things that can drag us down, are happening all over, all the time. There is not a time for planting and harvesting in that world, it is happening now and always. There is always something going on that hurts us, hurts our neighbors, hurts the people around us. And into that storm of pain and weariness, a harvest field is waiting.

            I am not around that lady whose office I poked my head into very often. She isn’t a close friend, I just happened to be there on a day she was in pain, a day when she needed help. So, instead of just saying hi and leaving, I stayed a little longer and asked her how she was doing. At that, she let it out that she was not doing well. That opened the door, and I was able to share God’s word with her and the three of us, the hurting lady, her co-worker and I, prayed.

            That is the harvest field waiting for us to walk into. It can happen at any time and in any place, even when we are not expecting it. I was not expecting to share God’s word or pray with that lady that day. I actually came to ask her a question, one we never did get to. God had other plans, plans to draw her closer to Him.

            When you enter a new day, pray and ask God if there is a harvest event He will be leading you to today. Who knows, you may have one agenda, but God has another. He may be calling you to go into the harvest field of souls today. Be open, let God use you.

Pastor Gary.