“We accept it because we have seen the vision. We know that we cannot reap the harvest, but we hope that we might so well prepare the land and so diligently sow the seed that our successors may gather the ripened grain. ”—Liberty Hyde Bailey – American Scientist
Robert Louis Stephenson once said,“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”This sentiment, though true, is difficult. Maybe it’s because I was bred and educated in perfectionist, results-driven environments. Or perhaps it’s that we live in a bottom-line world where the value of small steps and developmental processes is often not appreciated. Even in the church our leadership “successes” are often based on ‘butts in seats” and “dollars in offering plates,” and not in diligent seeds sown toward life transformations. HARVEST is a noun and a verb. It is both the process or period of gathering crops and the crops themselves.
Agriculture, whether natural or spiritual, is a humbling proposition because it requires complete dependency on God for the harvest. When we forget this, God humbles us and makes us recognize our need for Him. He did this in 1 Corinthians 3 when folks were clamoring for a competition between two of their most eloquent leaders, Paul and Apollos. Paul immediately shut it down.
5After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
We can do what we can do, and we trust God to do what He does. I’m wondering if you’ve accepted the spiritual value of the seeds you’re planting and watering. Those seed affect lives. “35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”” (Matt. 9:35-38) This weekend we’ll be planting and watering seeds in Washington Park, OTR. We’d love to have more folks volunteer to help us. If you’re interested and available, email us at [email protected]
