Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
– Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV)
Jesus expects us to have compassion on the sight of those who look like sheep without a shepherd. He also wants us to be discerning about what it takes to the reap the harvest of souls throughout this world. He knows that our hearts cry out for the very souls of the poor and needy, the ones who do not accept the Lord as Savior and those who never heard His Word.
The Lord has an expectation of us as believers.
He wants us to be more:
- Ready: The Lord stated the bounty of the harvest. If we are to harvest souls, we need to be ready to reap. Our readiness will determine how much and how well we reap what has ripened in its season. He expects us to be ready.
- Responsive: The Lord points out that the laborers are few. In the right season, you will be expected to be responsive. The appropriate response to the harvest is to get to work and pray. Work with what the Lord has provided you in your spiritual gifts and resources, but also be sure to pray to the Lord of the harvest for the help that you need for the harvest. Work and pray as part of your response to the Lord placing you in position to respond to the plentiful harvest.
- Reliant: The words of Jesus make sense. We are expected to work in the midst of the harvest. However, we are also expected to pray and rely upon the Lord of the harvest for who He will send our way and into the harvest. We cannot simply rely upon what we have in our hands or heads and on our hearts. We have to rely on God Almighty for all the help that we need for the harvest. He is the Lord of the harvest and has all things within His power. We need to become more reliant upon Him throughout the season of the harvest.
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