Harvest

I have not been keeping up well with this lately--it's harvest time at our house. That's our livelihood, right here in the "breadbasket" of the U.S. of A. I can't tell you all that's involved from the farming aspect, but I know a few things as the farmer's wife. It means sending the farmer out the door by 7:30 every morning and trying to stay awake until he comes in at dark-thirty. It means making meals to eat on the go twice a day, running errands, and being available.

Jesus said, "Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest." (john 4:35).

When we plant in the Spring, we run a different operation than when we harvest in the Fall. It requires different equipment and different players. In the normal run of things, we have time to prepare; to repair equipment, get caught up on rest, think about storage, extra workers, and hitting the market at the right time in the right place.

Jesus said, "It's time, boys. Now." And that to fishermen. There's no time to prepare. Equipment and extra food rations are needed now. Workers are needed now. It's time. The planting? You missed it. Get up and get on with it. You can't afford to hit "snooze" one more time or watch another episode on Netflix. Your "four months" are over.

They're ready to be called out--to call upon Jesus for salvation or to continue going their own way. Put Jesus front and center. It's time.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15

Believe and Go On Your Way

I've been traveling the book of John the last month or two. When I started I wrote out the key verse of the book, "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31, ESV).

From the beginning, I've taken note of the words and phrases from that verse as they appear throughout the book of John: these are written/testify, believe, Christ, Son of God, life, his name.

And this is the life-changing phrase that grabbed me this morning: "The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way" (John 4:50 ESV). My response? "Eureka!"

God has spoken through His Word. When I'm confronted by the Word of God I believe it. Or not. To believe God's Word and go on my way is a powerful way to live.

To believe He is the Sovereign of the universe and go my way means I trust Him with today's interruptions, disappointments and joys. To believe Christ officially, really, left Heaven and became the God-man who died in my place means I go my way free of the power and penalty of sin. To believe Christ literally rose from the dead means I go my way living His life in my thoughts, words, attitudes and actions.

Today, may I believe the word He has spoken as I go on my way.

Keeping Track

I'm going to venture that one of the things that holds us back the most is a subtle, constant thing we're unaware of. It's called, "keeping track."

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When our children were small, I could count--almost to the minute--the previous night's sleep. It was my excuse for doing some things--eating chocolate, allowing them to binge-watch PBS--and not doing others--keeping up with housework or treating others with kindness. At some point, not only did I start to get more sleep at night (praise the Lord!), I also realized the blessings of not keeping track. If I simply went about my day as if I a decent night's sleep, I had a better attitude, got more accomplished, and was, overall, much happier.

By not keeping track, life becomes more about this moment and future opportunities than resentment over missed ones. I've stopped keeping track of how many times each person unloads the dishwasher,  does the wash, serves me, or gets the mail. The replacement motto is, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might;" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

We are warned not to keep track of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5). Which we know--but do anyway. Perhaps not keeping track falls under the warning to "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely...." (Hebrews 12:1). It certainly would be in line with "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14) So, even as we put off thoughts that drag us down, that keep track of and compare ourselves to others, we need to refresh our minds with God's Word and replace those thoughts with gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise.

God's Word is not simply a book of platitudes to make us feel better. When we take even the smallest principles and, by God's grace, apply them to our lives, we experience the eternal life we've already been given in Christ.

Think about. Or don't. Choosing your thoughts will give your life a whole new color....

 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)