This morning as I was checking my garden, my mind went back to the many times I have driven to my Aunt Sherry’s to pick green beans. I thought of one morning when the Lord spoke something vital to me. It was early morning, and it was already hot. I had on long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to avoid the mosquitos that I knew from experience would be in the garden.
In my mind, I thought, “I don’t look forward to this.” As the thought ran through my mind, I heard the Lord speak to my heart. He said, “you can’t have a harvest without the work.”
I know this is true. Harvest is work and if you refuse to do the work, you will have no harvest. Which means you must wait an entire year to have another chance at bringing in the harvest.
Proverbs 10:5 says, “He who gathers in summer is a wise son. He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.”
The lazy man will not plow because of winter. He will beg during harvest and have nothing. (Prov 20:4)
You cannot put off harvest work, if you do, there will be no harvest. The Bible tells us so.
I love the way The Passion Translation depicts Proverbs 10:5; Know the importance of the season you are in and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity.
Today, as I read that scripture, what jumped out at me was this; know the importance of the season you are in. My mind went back to Isaac, who sowed in famine and reaped a hundred-fold return that same year. He knew the importance of the season, the spiritual season, he was in. In the natural all he could see was famine – but he had a Word from God. God had said, “Sow and I will bless it.” So, Isaac sowed and saw the harvest he was promised.
Harvesting is hard. I do not love picking green beans in the heat. I don’t like getting eaten up by mosquitos. I don’t like lifting the pressure cooker over and over again. It is WORK. But I look beyond the work and keep my eyes on the harvest.
It IS harvest time… I see it all around me. Not only in the gardens by I see it by the Spirit of God.
Are YOU experiencing harvest? Are you seeing times of opportunity and leaning into them? Are you doing the work to secure the harvest? This not only applies to natural gardens, but it applies in all aspects of life.
Most people want a harvest, but not all are willing to do the work. I understand. The work is not easy, but you can’t have one without the other.
I hear from people daily who want God to meet all their needs. It’s His promise to us. However, there are conditions. When I ask about their finances or giving, they often say they cannot afford to give. There’s the problem. No seed, no harvest.
I have said it before, I don’t care if your seed is one penny, give God something to work with. You can’t have His benefits without doing things His way. If you want a continual harvest – sow continual seed.
I believe, as I have said before, we are in a season of blessing. God is blessing His faithful ones; therefore, I must recognize the season we are in and take full advantage of this opportunity before me – the opportunity for harvest. I must sow the Word of God. I must be obedient to sow financial seeds as God leads. I can’t miss this season – neither should you.
