The Lord of the Harvest

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” ~ Matthew 9:37-38

    There is a familiar sight across the land around this time of year. Dust clouds boil around giant farm machines operated by neighbors and friends as they harvest the crops of corn, beans, and other vital nutrients. Each year, the farmers we see cultivating, planting, spraying, and harvesting risk their lives and livelihoods to provide for their families and countless others. Each planted seed carries hope and expectation with it into the soil. 
 Jesus accurately described the farmer’s plight, saying, “some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings. Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13:5-8)
    When the farm equipment, loaded grain trailers, and heavily laden pickup trucks stir our impatience while we race here and there, annoyed by every minor inconvenience, let it be a reminder of our shared calling. The Lord of the Harvest called us into the fields because millions of souls are ripe for the picking. The Lord sees them like we see the vast, rolling fields across our native Midwest. He asks only that we step out of our routines and see the fruit right before our eyes. Discouraged, hopeless, broken people; vain, vapid, consumers who self medicate to placate their inner fears and longings; pursuits of the flesh define purposeless wanderers whose minds rarely consider eternal things. 
    Few of us realize the impact our farming neighbors have on so many lives. Their risky, hard work helps to fuel people, and industries far and wide. We literally eat the food they raise and harvest, and we all use an endless array of products created from their labor. Jesus would have us know His Kingdom is the same. The Kingdom of Christ encompasses the entire people of God, saved by God’s grace. Even while we mourn the passage of an imagined golden age in our society, we must not forget the profound influence of Christians and Jews. If it were possible to extract Judeo-Christian values from society, it would be like abandoning fields across the nation’s heartland. Weeds, vermin, wildfires, and other natural disasters would quickly replace the once fruitful lands. 
    Of course, there should be a place for wildflowers and other natural vegetation to grow. Environments suited to the needs of wild animals and other creatures are always necessary. But, the Lord of the harvest created all the natural resources we take for granted so that we could join Him in what is doing, so that God’s we will fulfil divine purposes. When you see the farmers at work, it is an image of God’s divine purpose. They witness miracles every day as they sow a small seed that yields so much more in just a little while. So, consider the joys that await the one who enters the Lord’s harvest with such faith? 
    Now, as you witness the ripened fields, the farming families at work through the day and into the night, and the freshly cut stalks ask the Lord of the Harvest to show you the fruit that He desires you to recover. Ask Him now to let you join Him in all that He does. Plead with the Lord to show you the folly that preoccupied you before, so that you can put it aside for a little while. May the Lord give you the faith and courage of the farmers.