Tears of a Lost Harvest
Here is a story that caught my attention from one of the regular Monthly Magazines that comes into my Letter Box, so I would like to share this article with you, so here it is.
Quote; “Recently while relating an experience from my youth with my husband, I had an epiphany. Now I want to share both with you. It happened while I was sixteen years old and spending the night with Nettie Crawford, my friend from church, at her family’s farm. Stretching out as far as the eye could see, their vast fields were filled with dazzling white cotton. Arriving at suppertime, the harvesting crew boisterously swapped one colourful tale after another throughout the evening. Mr Crawford went outdoors periodically to check humidity levels, patiently waiting that special point when it was safe to begin harvesting. As the night wore on, the mood grew sombre. It was 2:00 am and I could sense my friend’s father was growing anxious. Suddenly, Lightening streaked across the sky and a booming thunderclap brought us all up out of our chairs! Within seconds, an unexpected squall blew in with high gusts of wind and driving rain. Another bolt of lightning knocked the electricity out at the house, leaving us all standing in the dark, listening in dismay as a rare hail storm peppered the ground.
Mr Crawford stood looking out the patio door; and my eyes were fixed on this big, gentle man who reminded me of my own deceased father. Another streak of lightening illuminated his face – and that’s when I saw tears rolling down his cheeks. His harvest was lost! “What a shame!” my husband exclaimed, as I shared this incident; and that’s when it hit me! Could this be an apt metaphor of end-time events? Jesus compared his work to gathering the harvest: “Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:35. There is only a short window of time to do the work of harvesting. It must be done with efficient teamwork, or crops can be spoiled. The reason for God’s harvest is likewise limited. People who don’t know Jesus as their Saviour are passing away – spoiled for eternity- and at Christ’s return, His harvest season will be over. “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:27. At the coming of our Lord, will not our heavenly Father witness the devastation of all the Lost with many tears streaming down his face? The Bible tells us his Heart’s desire is that none should perish.
“The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2. Isn’t it time to join God’s harvesting crew? Today; won’t you become an active member on God’s Evangelistic Harvesting Team? Let’s do all we can to avoid God shedding the tears of a Lost Harvest!” By Shelley Quinn.
What are you, and what am I doing, right now, to seek and to save the lost, to reach out to rescue the perishing, care for the dying, for Jesus is merciful and Jesus will save. We all can do so much more to reach out to those around us, but if we have lost our own way and do not really have a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, then our Christianity is as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle, as the funny saying goes.
To rescue, or even to even be a rescuer, we must firstly, ourselves, be anchored upon some very solid ground, or being anchored by some strong cords, very firmly to something very immoveable so that we can in turn then anchor them and then we are able to draw them back to solid ground as found in Hosea 11:4a “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love:” God is reaching out to us all, and wooing and calling us, but are we really listening and what is our response going to be, how will you respond to the Heavenly Call?
Jesus Christ and Scripture is the “Only” safe and solid ground, ever, for as the Hymn says, “all other ground is sinking sand.” Jesus Christ is “the rock of our salvation” {Psalm 95:1}, “the Chief Cornerstone.” {Ephesians 2:20} The famous Gospel Song has a line that goes something like this, “I’ve anchord my soul in the haven of rest,” from “The Haven of Rest” as sung by Glenn Paine of the Cathedrals. Have you anchored your Soul in the haven of Rest in Jesus Christ and am safe ever more, or are you out there drifting in the wild seas of confusion.
There is so much confusion and conflicting misinformation in circulation, so what is the correct path to walk in? Well Scripture gives us the Solution as found in John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” If you have Jesus Christ then you are well on the way to Life. The Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids tell us that being “In Church” is not enough, as the extra key was “Relationship – Knowing and being Known by the Groom, Jesus Christ.” Knowing about is of no value, it is all about a moment by moment relationship, and marriage is supposed to reflect this, but as you observe, most are two people sort of going in the same direction and sort of together. We have the message to the Church in Ephesus as found in Revelation, and this is the critical verse to them, and probably us as well as found in Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”
It is so easy to let the world squeeze out that precious time of Prayer, Scripture reading and Study and building and strengthening our Heavenly Relationship, but how about our Earthly Relationships? To be effective in these last few days of earths current history and in the Harvesting work, and being harvested ourselves, it is all about “Relationship” so how is yours, with God and Man?
