By Barb Zeller
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:37-38
Growing up on a farm, a successful harvest paid the bills and provided for the upcoming year. There was an urgency around ripe crops, weather reports and available workers. I remember many long days, late nights and meals taken out to the fields.
God tells us that His fields are “ripe for the picking.” The yield is there waiting to be gathered in, and He has a harvest plan that begins with prayer. He knows that we don’t have the capacity or endurance in our own strength for His bumper crop.
He handpicks workers for specific tasks for which they are uniquely qualified. We can trust Him to reveal His son Jesus in relevant ways to each one whether we are directly involved or not. The harvest season doesn’t last forever, so it is important that each of us is listening to where the Holy Spirit is inspiring us to focus our time and effort each day.
A dear friend of mine understood this well. Her office wall was covered with world maps and Post-it Notes with names. Her day began in her prayer chair as she listened and agreed with God’s good harvest plan. Following God’s prompts she connected with people by sending notes, making calls and meeting in person. I can only imagine her delight as she entered heaven and began to meet people from here, near and far that were answers to her prayers.
May each of us be bold to ask God for His workers to be sent and willing to go where He sends us so that the plentiful harvest can be gathered.