Harvest

Galatians 6:9 and let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

When I think of reaping, I think of harvest. Some plants grow and bear fruit in as little as 1 1/2 months other plants take 7 to 8 years from planting to harvest, like the pawpaw fruit.

I admit, I would prefer a fast harvest when I reap. I feel like some of the reaping I have done is still waiting, long past the harvest of pawpaw fruit. I keep waiting to see a harvest in a few specific areas where I have faithfully sowed.

Yet, I know that I have reaped in other areas where I didn’t plant. I’ve seen God reward my faithfulness in other areas, while I still wait to reap in specific areas. Galatians 6:7 reminds us whatever one sows, that will he also reap. However, the passage does not say that we reap where we sow, except to the flesh and to the spirit (see Galatian 6:8).

I have many areas of my life I have been looking to reap right where I sow. I admit, selfishly at times, that is why I have continued to sow. At times, I have openly expressed my frustration at God for not letting the harvest come as I expect. Yet, I see that when I sow love, love comes back to me. When I sow kindness, kindness comes back to me. It may not come from the one that I sow into, but it comes back to in ways that I can see God’s hand at work.

As I pondered this, I realized sometimes it is the hired hand that sows into the farmers land. Meanwhile, the farmer is out looking for a new land or new seed to harvest. If I am busy laboring in others fields I need to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into my fields. I have to realize that everything is not on me in the fields where I am harvesting.

Paul recognized this misconceptions and addressed it to the people of Corinth. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. I Corinthians 3:6-8

I not only have to trust that He will bring the laborers as I am faithful but I have to make a room for them to sow. I have to be ready for the laborers to come. I have to be willing to acknowledge the work that it may be the labors of others that will bring the harvest that I have been sowing to and waiting faithfully to come.

Prayer: Lord, I feel like this passage gives me more questions than answers, but I do know that I don’t want to grow weary of doing good. I know that you are faithful to Your word and that in due season I will reap if I did not give up. Help me to be open to laborers that You send to “my fields”, and realize that growth will come from You when each is faithful to the tasks You put in front of them.