Harvest Time

Farmers in Kansas harvested wheat and other grains a few months ago, and now are beginning to bring in corn, soybeans, milo and other fall crops. As expected, they are garnering a yield of the same sort they planted; that is, if they sowed wheat, the return is wheat, if corn was seeded, corn is harvested. It has been so ever since God planted a garden in Eden. "Then God said, 'Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.' And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:11, 12 NLT)

Isn't it interesting that people depend on nature to reproduce itself in reliable fashion, but are slow to accept the corresponding spiritual truth? "Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds!" (Galatians 6:7, 8 MSG) I talked to an acquaintance recently who was distressed by some hardships he was experiencing. He had planted a dishonest, maybe even illegal action, and now was miffed because a superior had discovered the deed and there was unpleasant and inconvenient retribution. Weeds. What could he expect?

On the other hand, the Galatians verses give great encouragement also. "But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit." (vs. 8, 9) Although the good spiritual harvest may not come at the season we would like or expect, it will come.

No drought or excessive rain, hail, disease, bugs or worms, invasive grasses, or any other damaging element can prevent the spiritual crop from coming in. "No one makes a fool of God!" Whether it will be weeds or real life depends on what we plant, day after day.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.