We had an unusually warm winter and most of the trees began growing leaves earlier than normal. After a few cold nights the leaves began to change like it was fall. It was as if Mother Nature had lost track of time and gone through the seasons in a matter of weeks. I’d never seen anything like it.
Even the flowers began to bloom early, but the blossoms didn’t last long before they died also. One day before my bike ride I prayed for direction in my life. God always hears the prayers of His children and yes He always answers them, but not with a yes. Most of us can testify to this.
As I began biking through the countryside I passed farms and pastures where weeks before there was nothing, but now teamed with life as the harvests began sprouting or the livestock was rotated in the pastures.
As I enjoyed the beauty of nature and all the life teaming around me, I sensed God say, “I make everything beautiful in its season. Trust Me.” The life lesson is, there are seasons for growth and reaping and there are seasons for planting and waiting (hgh.)
Furthermore, we aren’t all in the same season and each of us will reap a harvest at different points in life. God has placed an eternal longing in our hearts, but only He knows when each season will come (Ecclesiastes 3:11.)
This is why we mustn’t compare ourselves to other people and definitely not the world. Some reap now and others later, some are good soil and some are bad. Jesus’ parable about good and bad soil (Matthew 13:24-30,) should make us all tremble.
Child of God, the good soil must never compare itself to the bad soil…the lost. We serve a different King/purpose, that’s why I wonder why so many false teachers and preachers teach believers to chase things of this world and their selfish dreams and a big paycheck—only the lost chase dreams, we chase God; it’s His harvest after all, He gets the spotlight.
The Harvest?
The dictionary defines harvest as, “The season of gathering for crops, a mature crop, the quantity of a natural product gathered in a season.” By this we understand a harvest is only ready in the perfect season, it will stand up.
Only the planter reaps the harvest, although the workers do the work. In the planting process, the soil breaks down the seed and nourishes it, in Jesus’ parable we are the soil and good soil absorbs the seed (God’s word.)
But, when the seed has fallen on rocky ground, it can’t take root. Regardless, sometimes there’s a good crop and sometimes bad.
Either way, God is in control, because He is the Lord of the harvest. What most people fail to realize is the harvest benefits the landowner only. When Jesus told His disciples that the harvest was ready, He was referring to an eternal kingdom, not a temporary one full of selfish dreams.
This is why Scripture repeatedly says only God’s plans prevail (Psalm 33:10–11, Proverbs 16:9, Isaiah 14: 27, Ephesians 1:11, Hebrews 6:17.) We are simply the workers fulfilling His plans—the harvest, it is greater than all of my regrets.
God is too loving a Father to give us everything we want. He knows have selfish desires. The apostle Paul explained to the church what the harvest of the spirit is and isn’t (Galatians 5:22–23.)
This is why I’m confused when I see so many so-called Christians boasting about earthly wealth. God promises to give us what we need in life, not always getting your way (Matthew 6:18-21.) The irony of Christianity is sometimes winning in life requires losing in this life.
And like a seed dying in good soil, it will be alright, we produce eternal rewards in heaven, scripture talks about the patriarchs of the faith not receiving earthly treasures, but gaining heavenly rewards (Leviticus 25:23, Hebrews 11:13-39, 1 Peter 2:11.)
Heaven?
Heaven unveils a new earth all the way, with new soil and glorious treasures beyond our imagination with no tears. God is preparing the new heaven and earth right now. This is why it’s important for to use our gifts for the work He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10-12.)
When you focus on Heaven and not the things where you are then everything you do will be for the glory of God, because that is the real harvest (Zechariah 14:21, 1 Corinthians 10:31.)
