It's Harvest Time

I was unable to sleep last night, so I began to surf the internet. As I searched the internet, I came upon a video about harvest time. The Alabama farmer was talking about all the money he had lost due to their Mexican workers leaving. They didn't have anyone to help during the harvest time. The farmer's response, "our bodies aren't built for this type of labor." What he was referring to was the difficult labor the Mexican immigrants were performing during harvest time.

Harvest time is a difficult time of year because it takes time, stamina, and strength to get the job done. When the body of Christ talks about "harvest time" we all get excited. The church erupts in praise, worship, dancing, shouting, and applauds. What we forget is harvest time is the hardest work to do. It is the most labor extensive activity of growing season.

Harvesting is the process of gathering the ripe crop from the fields, which is not an easy task. Before harvest time, you must plant the seed, and the seed has to grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 states, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building" (NIV).

So, the seed is planted, but it is God who grows the seed. When the seed has grown to its ripe crop, it is time for harvest. The farmer made a profound statement, everyone isn't built to endure harvest time. It takes skills, knowledge, strength, stamina, endurance, patience, love, gentleness, and so much more to reap the harvest. "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few" (Matthew 9:37, NIV). I'm not telling the body of Christ not to get excited for harvest time. I want us to understand that when harvest time arrives, there's work that must be done. The harvest (the crop) is plentiful, but it's few laborers that want to go out on the fields.

There was work needed for the planting of the seed to take place. There was work for the seed to grow, and there will be extensive labor to reap the harvest. Are you ready for the work? The completion of harvest marks the end of the growing season or the growing cycle for a particular crop. That doesn't mean another seed won't be planted. Following Christ is a continuous process that requires continuous growth.