The Harvest

Wow, I can't believe it's November.  I grew up on a tobacco farm and I can remember when the weather got cold my daddy started talking about the upcoming time to strip tobacco.  I remember the warmth from the huge metal barrel in the barn for heat, the songs we all sang while we worked, the smell of my mommas cornbread she'd bring down from the house at lunchtime.  We worked hard living on a farm, by age five I was cooking and was actually pretty good at it.  We also learned that the work could be enjoyable as well as hard.  My Gramma sounded like an angel singing as she worked alongside PaPaw.  My grandpa taught my daddy, and daddy taught us kids, that if you sow good seed in fertile ground and trust in The Lord you will reap a bountiful harvest.





I truly believe that you reap what you sow and that good seed planted among rocks instead of fertile soil will reap weeds for your labors.  Every choice has a consequence. If we make wise decisions, we can expect good things, a good harvest of of fields.   If we make rash choices, we can anticipate negative consequences.  In other words, you reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.  You probably wonder where I'm going with this.  Honestly I'm not really sure.

Some become deceived because their present seed has yet to produce a crop. So they mistakenly believe that there will never be a harvest.  But unlike the crops of the field, which are gathered at approximately the same time each year, there is no regular timetable for the harvest of life. Some results come quickly; others take a long time. But do not be deceived—their season will come. And by going the second mile now and doing more than is required, we will collect rich dividends later.
“For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” What a comforting and assuring thought to those who faithfully labor under difficult circumstances!



Does this story sound familiar?  A farmer went out to plant some seeds.  As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!


I wasn't sure where this post was going when I started writing but I felt compelled to put the message on paper.  Somebody out there needs to hear it.  If you have been working hard on something that you felt you were meant to do, don't stop.  Don't give up on your dream.  The harvest doesn't come overnight.  Your seeds need time to take root and become strong as they push upward towards the sun thereby producing your harvest.

Step back and look at where you've planted your seeds.  Is it fertile ground?  Or are you scattering seeds among weeds and rocks?  Are you focused on making your crops grow or, are you just tossing seeds on the ground and hoping something might sprout if you're lucky?  Are you doing the things you need to do to reap a grand harvest?  Stop, look at where you are planting.