It’s Harvest Time

Fall is a season that is quite decorative and exquisite. This season has its own unique charm to it because of how it is celebrated. Various holidays are celebrated among families and friends during this time. While the leaves on the trees change vibrant colors and the food and clothing trends change in the store decorations are put in place. These decorations resemble the beautiful harvest season that comes with fall. One of the most important components of fall is the harvest season. This is when crops are ripe and ready to be gathered. When I think of this, I am reminded of how often God utilizes parables and lessons involving crops, planting, and vegetation to teach us a lesson (Matthew 13:33-35). There is one lesson I will always remember. That is, it is impossible to grow and flourish if you are not positioned properly.

Ponder this. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus explains to us that all believers are the salt of the earth. This means God’s people are designed to live lifestyles that lead others to God’s truth and glorify Him. Who would God’s people be if we were not ripe, or in other words, ready to shine for God’s mission and glory here on earth. Our efforts and existence would be in vain and meaningless. As God’s children, it is our responsibility to allow God to grow and prepare us for what He is calling us to. Solomon was clear in Ecclesiastes 3 about there being a season for everything. In Jeremiah 29, God’s letter to the exiles was a reminder of his faithfulness and plan to bring them out of their current circumstance. God has a plan for us all. A plan to take us from one point of growth to the next, and that positioning occurs only when we are situated where God wants us to be.
 

God’s Positioning is a Process

 
When I think about how God positions us for what He has in store for us, this growth reminds me of a three-part process. That is, planting, maintaining, and harvesting. When a farmer is in the first stage of planting, they are tilling the ground, sowing seeds, and positioning their crops in such a way that they are ready to grow properly. The maintenance stage is also crucial for plants to grow and flourish. The stage of harvesting is when the crops are fully grown and ready to be collected.

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus was adamant about the importance of growth and how we need to make sure that we are positioned correctly and prepared for the growth God desires to take place in our lives. Matthew 13:1-9 says, “That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then He told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:1-9; NIV).

In this parable God reminds us that every seed that is planted on the wrong soil or not cared for properly will wither away. Jesus then said that seed that is properly cared for will thrive and multiply. Jesus was saying that the same goes for us as believers. God’s desire is to use us mightily for his glory. He wants us to be ripe and ready for Him to use us.

I encourage you this season to position yourself and prepare yourself for growth. God declares that He is the Vine, and we are the branches. Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). God’s good and perfect will is worth the preparation. Find time this season to actively grow in your relationship with Christ because when God penetrates various areas of your life you will never be the same.