The Harvest

John 4:35-38  35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

A lot of time I feel is spent on waiting for that day when revival will come. But revival comes when each of us steps out and lays claim to that which God has granted us.

The harvest, Jesus tells us, is not 4 months from now but it is now. It is white for harvest.
In order to harvest a field you need to first own the field or work for the one who owns the field. To just go hacking away and harvest a field that isn't yours is theft.

God has given us the field. He commands us to go out and preach the gospel and make disciples. God owns the field and the Harvest therein.
When we work for the owner of the field we need to take hold of the authority given us to harvest. We are given the same authority to harvest the field as the owner has. Not because we are simply working for the owner but that the owner is our Father and we His sons and daughters and thus heirs.

We haven't even sown this harvest. That work has already been done. All the ploughing, planting and watering and growing has been done. All we need to do is reap what others have sown.

It is something that seems a little hard to get your head around. That everyone else has done all the hard work and all we need to do is go out and gather the fruit of another's labour.
Why then is it such a difficult thing for us to do? All the hard work is done and we have been told to just go and do it now. Not 4 months, 2 years or 10 years from now.

I am 30 now and I feel like I have wasted so much time in fear. Yes maybe these years have been years of preparation for something I am to do in a few months or few years from now but right now? What am I doing right now? One of the reasons I have started writing my Blog is because I feel that I have so much I would like to speak out that is floating around in my head that I just need to get it out on paper. If I don't I become bogged down and miserable. This is not the only thing I am going to do in my life but it is a start. Grabbing a hold of every opportunity to reach others be it at church on Sunday as you serve and give out church notices or teach children or pour tea or preach. Be it while shopping for groceries or paying your bills. Are you slacking off on the field having a picnic or are you actively reaping the harvest?

Sometimes it would be nice to join others having a picnic instead of doing work but when we reap we receive wages and gather fruit for eternal life so that both those who have sown and us who reap will rejoice together. I would rather forgo the picnic and store up treasures in Heaven and feast at the table of the Lord.

I say that I love people but what I really mean is that on average I actively love those who are nice people and who smile back and who are friendly and don't cut me off in traffic or aren't rude and offensive.
We need to actively love everyone who crosses our path. No one should be left behind because we are too busy.
You know how when you get a new pair of shoes or you win something or something really good happens or there is this really exciting secret that you are just busting to tell someone, maybe even facebook about? We take for granted that the gospel is called the Good News. We have forgotten that this is really exciting stuff.
We should be bursting with this news to share with anyone and everyone who will listen (or doesn't) but fear and other things we have made more time for and made more important get in the way.
The news of Jesus love and sacrifice and His restoration for all those who call on His name is way better than any pair of shoes, any secret, any win in the History of the whole entire world!

Are we going to be like the Samaritan who went out of his way or are we going to walk on the other side like the priest and the Levite did? They were too busy and full of excuses as to why they couldn't stop to help. The Samaritan saw this man as a person who needed help and he not only took him to Jericho but he took him there and got him cared for and said he would be back.

This is exactly what Jesus did for us. He saw you and I beaten up and dying looking terrible in our sin and yet He came, reached down and picked us up out of the dirt. He left us the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and to heal our brokeness. Jesus didn't just leave us He said He would be back but that He is going to prepare a place for us.

This great thing has been done for us so why shouldn't we do the same for others?

The harvest is now. It is so white you cannot miss it. Lift up your eyes and look out over the field and see for yourself.