Jesus told his disciples in John chapter four, "Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." ( John 4:35 ) Jesus was preparing his disciples to reap what they had sown not, because others had already done the preparation work and the harvest was ready. He wanted them primed and eager to collect the return on what had been sown.
Near the beginning of Paul's letter to the Romans, he tells them that he planned to come to the them to have a harvest among them. Paul understood the principal of seedtime and harvest and he knew that the time was fast approaching when he would harvest in that city. The Christians were established and their fame had spread, but Paul desired to go to them and preach the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone he came across. Because the gospel yields results.
One of the most striking things about this statement was that Paul was in expectation of what the Lord would do among them. He had experienced it everywhere he went and knew that in Rome, it would be no different. The reason that Paul eagerly expected such a bountiful harvest was due to knowing God and knowing the grace by which he was saved. Receiving the good news of Jesus brings about a yield some thirty, some sixty, some one hundred fold. ( Matthew 13:8, Mark 4:8, Luke 8:8 )
Today as you work or go about your business, remember the grace to which you were called and be in expectation of the harvest. The seeds have been planted and the ground has been cultivated and is waiting for the a harvester to come along. May God bless you as you sow and reap abundantly.
