Fall Harvest- Part 1

2 Corinthians 9:10, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

One thing that tells us fall is here is when we are driving down dirt roads or even the back roads. We suddenly see cornfields ready for harvest or hay drying in the sun. Some fields can even look like old paintings. There are apple trees ready for picking and the leaves have changed to a rainbow of colors.

     As Christians, we can learn from this season. If we look and listen close enough, we can understand what God is telling us through nature.

-        Periods of waiting are essential for growth: John 15:5, 8

     Videos can show us how fascinating it is to watch flowers grow. With technology we can watch the seeds grow into beautiful flowers in seconds. Yet, we know in real life the process takes time. I enjoy venturing outside once I've planted my seeds. It may take a couple weeks, but the excitement of the first shoots always make me happy. Then over time I can watch them grow and blossom, eventually producing.

     Fall harvest can only come with a period of waiting. If we skip the steps of watering, weeding, and waiting, we'd have nothing but seeds. Although God could have created seeds to produce as soon as they were planted, He chose not to. He chose to teach us that there has to be a period of waiting.

     As Christians, we are like the seeds. We are meant to bear fruit produced by the Holy Spirit- Colossians 1:10, Galatians 5:22-23. This doesn't mean that when we choose Jesus, we instantly become patient, loving, and kind. It means, when we choose Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins cultivating these seeds in us and over time we will bear the fruit.

     Growth is essential for every Christian. We simply need to remember that becoming more like Jesus is a process. Some fruit may produce faster; others will grow over time. We just need to be patient, knowing as we grow, we are gradually moving closer to Jesus, and His image will shine through us when the time is right.

-        At times, plants must die to reproduce- John 12:24

     As fall sets in, the air grows cold. The beautiful leaves turn brown and fall, the corn husks shrivel up, and petals fall leaving a sad sight to see. Yet, what we may see as sad or ugly, God is using to work for the good. Buried in scattered leaves or dying flowers are new seeds ready to spring from the ground or be blown by the wind. In those new seeds are new life ready to multiply as flowers in due season.

     This not only follows Jesus’ teaching in John 12:24, but is spoken in volumes with Jesus on the cross. The Son of God gave Himself to die on the cross to bring us life.

     As Christians, we can learn from this. True success is giving up our desires of the world and living a life of discipleship for Jesus- Matthew 10:38-39. Our job is not to stand alone but to help bring spiritual harvest by sharing the good news with others.

-        Others can and should be blessed through our harvest- Leviticus 23:22

     I just recently read that in Old Testament times the Lord instructed the Israelites to leave behind some of their harvest on the edge of their fields instead of going back and retrieving what was missed. This provided food for orphans, widows, foreigners, and those in poverty. This was not a suggestion from the Lord but a command. He knew, in their sinful nature, farmers would be tempted to hoard it all for themselves, leaving behind the most vulnerable of society to suffer and fend for themselves. It was a lesson teaching them to keep others in mind and put away the selfish ‘me’ mindset.

     Today there are farmers all over the world growing and harvesting all sorts of crops to feed a global population. In essence they are leaving behind some of the crops to feed beyond their immediate family and neighbors.

     Scripture tells us that others should be blessed by our harvests. Boaz and Ruth are a great example of that. Yet, in today's world not all Christians are farmers so this principle, I believe, can apply to our resources. People reap benefits from their jobs, relationships, interests, use of time, and the spiritual gifts God has given them. We are called to share that harvest with others. This is as important as our walk with Christ.

     We may not have a field of wheat or are well off by societies standards. But the Lord gives us many ways to share with others and be a blessing to them (our time, money, life, etc), It's time to share the abundant love of Jesus with others.

     We have entered into the month of November. At the end of the month, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. This is a time that many find reasons to be thankful, are more generous to those around them, a time of goodness and charity. We are in the fall season. Many crops have already been gathered, some crops are finishing up, the leaves are changing, and the air is growing colder. In this season the Lord can teach us many things. In this month we can find many reasons to thank the Lord for the blessings we have been given. As you go about your month, as fall begins to turn to winter, look for the blessings around you in nature. Today we talked about three things we can learn through the fall harvest. Next time we talk, I will cover the last three things we can learn from the fall harvest. Have a great day and if you haven't already thanked the Lord for the many blessings that you have been given, challenge yourself each day of this month to think of one new thing to thank the Lord for.

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