Harvest of the Soul

The grain trucks are speeding by our house; the combines and dump carts are in the fields. This year’s corn and bean harvest is in full swing. It is a time of anticipation; what will the crop yield, what will the moisture be? It is a time of concern; in a time of such busyness, will everyone be safe? It is a time when parents bring their children out to ride in the combine or truck; a time for passing the tradition on. When the time for harvesting comes, the farmers move with passion.

And it is a time when I always get out my Bible and look at what Jesus says about the eternal harvest. I choose to share John 4:35-36 with you this year. Jesus told his disciples, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may be glad together.” Did Jesus leisurely send his disciples out to spread His word? Hardly! These were people of passion, too, people that knew their calling in the world.

So, make way, the farmers in Iowa are coming – coming to bring in their harvest and help feed the world. Not unlike Jesus’ disciples, whether in the past or present, they are people of passion who know their calling.

Lord, help us to know your calling for us. Protest us from harm as we endeavor to follow your desires for us in this world. And Lord, let us rest knowing that we, your own, are being harvested into your kingdom. Amen.