The Harvest Is Coming

He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.   Matthew 3:12

As John languished in prison, he must have wondered why God wasn’t bringing in the harvest. No doubt John was hoping that Christ would wield the winnowing fork and separate him from Herod!

That day of justice will come, but before God harvests his field, it has to be sown. Jesus makes it clear to the disciples that this is their ministry. When the seed is grown, God will announce the harvest, and then Christ will separate the wheat from the chaff, gathering the one into his barns and casting the other into the fire.

So be encouraged! Keep receiving the Word with faith and obedience. Keep believing God’s Word and hiding it in your heart. Keep asking him to give you strength to do what he says. You will change and grow.

There may be times when you feel discouraged in ministry and feel like giving up. You dreamed of making an impact, but the work has been tougher and the progress slower than you thought it would be. Keep sowing the Word. Keep watering it with your prayers. Keep putting it out there, and God will bring a harvest.

I have a friend in England who has been praying for her rebellious son for fifteen years. I’ve prayed for the lad many times, so when I talked to her last, I asked, “How is it with your son?”

She told me that he recently said to her, “Just give me more time.” Time? After fifteen years? I could feel my own frustration and disappointment rising. Then his mother said, “I’m just continuing to trust in God and to look for what he will do.”

I have found this truth liberating. I cannot change the world; only God can do that. God has called us to plant seeds, not to drop bombs. Sowing takes humility and faithfulness, but it is something that, with his help, you can do.

For further reading, see Colossians 4