Harvesting souls
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Matt. 9:36-38
Earlier this year, I tried desperately to find some cotton bolls for a new craft project. I planned on designing and making a new Christmas ornament to make and sell on our county’s Facebook Swap and Shop, as well as donating some to the county bazaar that the WMU groups of the Baptist Churches of Mitchell County participate in. The money from the sales would go toward missions, so I wanted to come up with something original to donate. I had the idea to use something local to create my Christmas ornament, because I thought it would resonate with the sweet folks around where I live.
I found someone who was willing to supply me with the cotton I needed. He is a member of my church and invited me to his fields. So down the road I traveled following the directions to the cotton field. After a few twists and turns, I pulled in the driveway, got out of the truck, and walked over to the edge of the field.
The first thing that came to my mind was simply, “Wow!” There was row after row of large cotton plants full and ready to harvest. It was a beautiful sight. So often I have passed by other fields, but I felt something different as I got out of the truck, came near, and viewed them up close. I felt small and even overwhelmed at the vastness of the harvest. The field seemed so much larger standing next to it.
I imagined the harvest in front of me with each of those cotton bolls representing a person. The Bible in Matt. 9:37 tells us we have a great harvest of souls in front of us in using the word, “plenteous.”
Share
God wants us to tell everyone we come in contact with daily of his Son, Jesus Christ. The harvest is truly great and we must harvest the fields while we have time. He also tells us in this verse that “the labourers are few.” Why are there only a few laborers? God calls us all to share the Gospel of Jesus.
Could it be that we have let down our guard and not fulfilled the mission that God has called us to do?
I know in my own life I need to be more diligent to share the Gospel with others. I do share it often, but how many times have I missed the Holy Spirit’s prompting because I have been in too big of a hurry or too busy with my own plans?
Arms’ length
Jesus, in verse 36, shows us the difference in how He views the fields of harvest. “…He was moved with compassion on them…” Jesus saw the people through love-filled eyes. Jesus wanted them to know Him. He also wanted to give the people a purpose by being their shepherd and guiding them throughout this life. Jesus always moved in close and looked on the multitudes.
We need to follow his example by moving in closer to those that need the Gospel. Maybe the reason we have not reached more is we are holding everyone at arm’s length. We need to show compassion and be willing to move beyond our comfort zone into the crowd.
Pray
Another important part of this scripture is a call to prayer. We need to pray for others to join with us to harvest the fields. This is not a task for only a few. All Christians need to come be a part of the greatest harvest we have ever seen. Our time is limited. We must pray daily that God will not only send laborers, but that we also get involved and witness for Christ.
Where are you today? Are you rushing past the fields failing to see the Harvest? Have you just come in to the field and realized that this is a task beyond what you can handle alone? Let us pray together for God to send a revival across our state and help us to be vigilant in doing our part to win souls to Christ!
