“38 I sent you to reap that whereon
ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their
labours.” – John 4:38
The sanctified life is one that includes discouragement,
temptations, and trials; this is because every life includes discouragement,
temptations, and trials. Jesus himself
prayed saying “I pray not that thou take
them out of the world but keep them from the evil of the world.” Among the more discouraging notions in my
opinion is the idea of “lack of harvest” or “lack of reaping”. The devil will tell you “clearly, God has
left your ministry because there is no visible fruit.” This is a lie laced with truth; true, God may
leave your ministry and there will be no fruit, but that does not automatically
mean there is no visible fruit therefore God is not there.
In South Georgia there is a specific occupation that comes
available around the May/June time period.
This occupation is known in the local vernacular as “chunkin
melons”. Every year around the beginning
of summer, watermelon farmers hire young strong men to walk through their
fields and throw ripe water melons into the back of a truck or bus. These men are “reaping whereon they have bestowed no labour.” They did none of the sowing, but are
experiencing all of the reaping. Now, do
you think the farm hands that were instrumental in the planting are resentful
of the “melon chunkers” in the harvesting?
NO! Of course not, because the
end goal remains the same for both parties, and that is to bring in the harvest
for the owner of the land. Furthermore,
if a farmhand does not get the call to take part in the melon chunkin do you
think they would feel discouraged and not want to plant come next planting
season? If they do, they should not;
because the object of it all is to labor for the land owner to bring in a good
crop! Granted, harvest is often more
rewarding than planting, but no matter, no discouragement should accompany
either occupation because both should be focused on the ultimate goal. Satan’s lies when placed against the backdrop
of the scripture will always appear out of place. Why should we worry, fret, and feel
discouraged when there is no fruit? If
we are truly working for the “land owner” and doing His will in all things,
then the season in which we labor is not our concern. You might be planting and laboring for
another who is instructed to come and reap down the road. There is sowing preaching, and reaping preaching. There is a time and a season for all
things. It does us no good to consider if
we are sowing or reaping, rather we should be focused on laboring for the
Master in every season. Furthermore,
(those who are reaping currently) take no pride or arrogance in this, you may
be simply gathering the fruit of those who labored before you; praise God for
the season you are called into whether planting or reaping. Noah was a preacher of righteousness and
saved only eight souls, Peter preached one sermon and saved three
thousand. What then? Is Peter a better preacher than Noah? Do you think Peter boasted of the souls that
he saved to Noah when he walked through the gates of heaven? Or rather did they rejoice because they were
counted as “good and faithful servants?” Utilitarian religion is no religion at
all. If you base your evangelism on
numbers and how many people are walking through your doors on Sunday, then you
will be quickly led astray. Your church
will soon become more of a country club, than a church. May God help us to take the Word of God and
go forward, laboring in the season where we are called; and look not to the
lack of numbers or visitors as reason to doubt, but rather look to Jesus! Look to Him no matter what season we find
ourselves in and let not the devil discourage us in planting (or reaping, or
anywhere in between). Let us look to
Jesus in all things, in feast or famine, in planting or reaping, for truly “God adds to the church daily such as should
be saved.”
Oswald Chambers the author of My Utmost for His Highest preached for years to soldier’s in Egypt. Talk about a “dead end” if there ever was
one; preaching to a congregation in the morning that may not even return from
battle for the evening service. It would
seem to all who looked on that he was wasting his talents, but how could anyone
know that his precious wife was transcribing every sermon by hand, and after
his death she would go on to complied them and publish My Utmost for His Highest.
This devotional book would prove to be one of the most read devotional
books in the world! Inspiring and instructions
millions to Jesus Christ! So take
courage my brother, my sister; concern not yourself what season you’re in, but
rather that you have been called to the labor and God will bless it in His time.
