So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 NLT
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Gal. 6:9
Most crops are planted and harvested in different seasons. In Canada, most crops are grown in spring and harvested at the end of summer or early fall. Every farmer who desires a harvest must understand each season and engage in the right activities. The first step to a harvest is planting in the right season. After seeds are planted, farmers look forward to growth, not a harvest. Harvest can only expected after the plants have grown. This principle is both spiritual and natural. When we sow the seed of the word of God, while it is true that sometimes the results can come forth immediately, it is not always the case. When the result of the word is not seen immediately, it means the word needs time to grow in us before the harvest comes. As a young believer, I did not fully understand this and in most cases, I assumed something must be wrong with my faith. But today I’m grateful for understanding. And here are a few things I have learned regarding a harvest.
There’s no harvest with seeds: Planting God’s word and declaring what He has said is how we plant seeds in our lives. This can mean consistently declaring a particular scripture over your life until it takes root and produces. Sowing requires concentration and consistency. You’ve got to stay with that seed and engage the process until it takes root in your heart.
The passage of time does not always equal growth: This right here is crucial. I have learned that a person’s involvement in church or spiritual activities over time does not always equal growth. It is so easy to assume that because you are involved in all these you are growing, but it isn’t always true.
Spiritual activities and involvement are part of the watering process to help your seed grow, but they are not seeds. If you have not learned how to sow seeds, regardless of your participation you may never experience a harvest.
At just the right time: There is timing to harvest. After growth comes the harvest. It is so crucial to know this because it gives you staying power. This understanding keeps you in faith, knowing that not all results will be immediate. God is faithful to His word, and If you’ve cultivated that word you can be rest assured of the harvest. But you don’t determine the timing, God does. In due time, at just the right time it will come.
Prepare for the harvest: God is responsible for the harvest. He said as long as the earth remains seedtime and harvest will never cease. God will bring the harvest but the question is would you have the capacity to reap? And would you have barns prepared to store that which you have reaped? Some farms in Canada have to hire foreign workers at harvest time, especially when harvest time is right before winter. They know they have a short window to reap the harvest, so they get all hands on deck, ensuring very little is lost. Some farmers lose a lot not because they did not harvest but because they did not have enough storage facilities. Preparation is key while you wait for the harvest. You must prepare to reap and prepare to store effectively what God has given to avoid wastage.
Harvest will come with a change in season: Just like it happens in our natural world, it does so spiritually as well. Harvest time will come with a change in seasons. You must be attentive so you know when to get your sickle out and reap your harvest. Many have missed their harvest because they could not discern the season. Galatians 6:9 tells us that one indicator to help us identify the harvest time is adversity.
The Adversity is the Harvest: This is a full sermon on its own but I’ll give you a very condensed version. Adversity: an intense pushback, challenge, or pressure to quit, is one factor that indicates the harvest is here. The bible says “You will reap if you do not give up”. This means when it is harvest time, there will be an intense desire and pressure to quit, to give up. If you do not understand that this is how the harvest shows up, you can give up trusting God or holding on to the word you have sown. The Bible says we will reap if we faint not. To faint means to give up.
There is a high tendency to give up if you have not built the inner strength to push through challenges. Preparation before the harvest is therefore important. If you haven’t built capacity in prayer, if you have not invested in renewing your mind, when the pressure comes, you might give up. I sense many have stepped into their due time, for someone reading this post, the harvest is here. Hold tight, do not faint, “you will reap if you do not give up”. Your due season is here!
Love always
Obebi.
