PREPARING FOR THE HARVEST
Having recently moved house 3 yrs this summer I found that alongside the rambling garden I inherited were two beautiful mature fruit trees.
Only a few weeks into settling, when we suddenly noticed that the trees were bursting with fruit. Dilemma No.1 presented itself. Was it a peach or a plum? A taste of the goods confirmed it as in fact plums!! Not just one full tree but the two.
Dilemma No.2 was now upon me....what was I to do with all this fruit? I quickly realized that the old phrase âseize the day âwas applicable here as the battle was now on for this crimson bounty between the birds, the bugs ,and the new plum queen â me.
Having only experience of picking jam jars of the shelves in the supermarket, I now had to research and read up on how to go about making the sweet sticky consistency myself.
I gathered up as many jars as I could lay my hands on which didnât amount to much. Older and wiser mother had a stash in her shed I could avail myself of. Ladder at the ready, I picked bundles. Bucket and basinâs full. I gave some away, and I invited others to pick their own!
Then one fine evening I set about the task of sorting, washing and weighing my harvest, to simmering, boiling and bottling the end result. I sat back, smugly satisfied with myself, labelling jars to give away and store as I pondered who may have sown these beautiful trees many years ago.
--Forward a year later( last year to be precise)
Around the correct seasonal time I noticed a slight scattering of green fruit begin to grow. Aha..thinks I â time to air all the jars Iâd been collecting and start buying bags of sugar in larger quantities. I was going to be prepared this time!! However, much to my bewilderment and disappointment after a few dozen plums matured-the tree yielded no more. I couldnât understand it. Where had all the plums gone? Someoneâ in the knowâ informed me that it was their cycle to only yield fruit every two years.
--Forward once more to this year. Imagine me in smug anticipation now of two trees in full bloom laden with fruit . However, I soon found myself frustrated that they seemed to blossom far too quickly. Life has picked up pace considerably over the last few years and time was not on my side. From the moment I noticed the first few buds to suddenly witnessing ripe juicy plums falling of the tree ...it was time to harvest again. I couldnât find a spare hour. I was under such pressure. Instead of enjoying the beauty of the fruit that I had to look forward too, the tree now haunted me every time I rushed by and swore to myself that tomorrow ,yes tomorrow would be the day of the great picking. Days were mounting up.
I couldnât face the guilt not to waste the fruit any longer, and so one evening just literally dropped everything to salvage what the birds were waiting in the wings for. I couldnât find the pails, the ladder wasnât high enough, the night was drizzly and midge infested. There was no-one free to help me. Still, the job had to be done! At least a dent in the pickings were made that first night, followed by a good hour or so the next day. The day of jam making was now getting closer as I had to use them at their best. Again, more pressure trying to find a convenient time. I must confess to being dreadfully ill equipped. Trips to shops for jam covers, yet more sugar and foraging around for all the misplaced empty jars, all with the dawning realization that this was my weekend laid out for me ! Not part of the plan.
Eventually I was in full swing of production, and enjoying it immensely.
Would you believe that two days later we succumbed to gale force winds, unnatural for this time of year, resulting in those plums that were just too high to be reached showering down on the path below, bruised and dirty and bird pecked. What a waste!
-Alongside my rambling thoughts, I became aware of theâ still small voiceâ of the Lord have me review the whole scenario from a spiritual point of view.
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
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.
Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." (John 4v34-38)
Friends, many of us in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ are believing that in these days we stand on the edge of a mighty move of God. We pray and look in faith and anticipation for him to come in a fresh outpouring of the spirit which will result in salvation , transformation, and renewal. Across the denominational divide we unite in this cry to God .We are believing, We are excited, we are full of glorious anticipation. We pray . we worship. We intercede. We wait.
But... how are we preparing? Have we even thought of preparing?
What does this anticipated harvest look like to you and I?
Do you know what season you are in as a church? Have you being faithfully sowing? Reaching into the community with the good news of Jesus? Building up the body of Christ in your midst. ? Praying in and reaching out to the lost, the broken, the hurting?
What are we doing in preparation? I firmly believe the days of preparation are upon us. Now.
We will all yet reap what we have sown. Make sure you sow well. Sow liberally. Water your crop. Enlarge your territory. Fence in, protect, and pray into the vision the Lord has for you. For your church. For my church. For HIS church. HIS beautiful one. HIS bride.
Friends, we donât want to be caught out.
Donât be like my presumptions of thinking I knew the stage and pace of my fruit harvest. KNOW where you are. ... the secrets of the Lord are with those who fear him....
Know the times and the seasons-
â men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do!â
(1 Chronicles 12v32)
What season are you and I in as a church?
Are we preparing a place for this harvest? How are we preparing? We prepare foremost in the Spirit. We pray and seek God. His will, his purposes, His blessing, His protection, His heart his vision.
But then we must put flesh on bones. We must be pro-active now in looking in anticipation as men and women of faith to God answering our prayers.
Where are the workers?
Are you training and equipping the body of Christ? Are we releasing and encouraging people in their spiritual gifting? Are we teaching endurance, perseverance, steadfastness?
Are we reading the seasons whilst being alert and prepared for the unexpected? The storms, the attacks or the blessings. What about accelerated growth at any time?
We need to be wise and discerning. We need to pray against the birds of the air and the pestilence of the ground coming to steal and destroy our crops. Guard against the enemy who ....like a roaring lion seeks to devour.
Let us not be caught short. Let us not be foolish. Let us be prepared and ready so that when the Spirit of the Lord is released in the mighty waves of revival that we pray for, that we will not waste a moment , loose an opportunity or forfeit our place in the gathering of the harvest because we were caught unprepared. Remember the unexpected storm in my story. Because I had put off untill another day, I wasted perfectly good fruit. I presumed time and elements were on my side. Friends, the enemy will not trumpet his presence in our crops we, must remain vigilant and prayerful at all times.
And Love....love one another. Love each endeavour for the Kingdom regardless of denomination, colour or creed. Bless what God is doing in other places. Seek unity and work together. When I was jam making I had to be careful not to touch the set pots with my fingers or I could contaminate them. I had to cover them quickly from the same fate of being exposed to the air.
--Touch not the things of God. Never put your tongue or your hand to anything that would bring hurt, criticism, control, confusion, or pain. We must be careful when we are trusted to handle the Holy things of God. Never forget that this is all for Him, all about him and all for Gods Glory and Renown.
The Lord is preparing various ministries all over our nation in these days...all with their own call, all with their own vision. The end goal should be the same. To reach the lost. To win souls. To build up the body of the church. When it comes to the harvest we must lay down our own agendas, our own identities, our own selves,....and we work as one. Rather than pockets of nets being cast all over the land here and there...what an abundance we will reach if we unite and join together . A much larger net. A much larger catch.
A great harvest. For who? Not for us but for our Lord. The great reaper of the Harvest.
So friends, hand to plough. There is much work to be done.
It starts with us. With you and I and the house of God getting prepared first . Sanctified . Purified. Holy.
So in conclusion....back to the jam.
--Year one- was rediscovering treasure! All I did was inherit it. Someone else sowed and many reaped along the way. Now it was my turn . My time. My season. My harvest.
Know your harvest. Perhaps we need to re-dig the old wells of great bounty and past blessings when God gathered in a great harvest from our church , denomination or community before. There may still be roots and shoots that the spirit deposited that only need the breath of God wind to blow over them again. To fan into flame the things of the Spirit. Throughout history God in His infinite and marvellous mystery has moved time after time in revival in a certain place and people. We call these âhot spots â or where thereâs âthin airâ. Know your background. Prepare and nurture your soil. To rebuild on old foundations can be gold, but to lay new foundations is equally priceless. Donât be fearful. Whatever your stage, donât hold back because itâs never been done before , launch out into the unknown with God. Ask His help in preparing, gathering and blessing your harvest.
--Year twoâthe harvest wasnât the abundance I was expecting. Guard against discouragement. Be thankful in all things. Surely itsâ qualityâ as well as âquantityâ. Gather in whatever is ripe and can be harvested. You never know the fore runner to the dam breaking. Prepare as well for 5 as you would for 50, 500 or 5,000 ! You donât know who the next preachers, teachers, leaders, prophets ,priests and Kings are hidden in your harvest. They are waiting to be found.
-- Year Three- Call out to the church. Itâs time to arise. Time to harvest. Are we starting to know the trickle of the first fruits?
We are in an incredible day as a church not just all over the nation of Scotland but all over the world.
God is stirring up His people. He is looking for those to arise who will redeem the time now.
In all our days of preparation we must also start to gather in the harvest that is already swelling around us. In these days of confusion, uncertainty and fear people are looking for answers. We have it. They are needing the love , joy, peace and ultimately salvation that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We must keep in step with the Spirit. Guard against becoming overwhelmed and ineffective as I nearly was with my plum harvest this year. Be alert, prepared. Share the workload. Do it all with a right heart. Joyfully and not complaining or murmuring. Gather in fast, before the natural elements become the enemy of your harvest. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today!
So, we pray to the Lord of the harvest...have your way in us O God and through us. For your names sake. For the building up and restoration of Your Bride . All For YOUR Glory
Galatians 6v9 âLet us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!â
And may you enjoy your yield for generations, and for eternity yet to come!
Donna MacNeil
(Scotland Trust Prayer Director)
Scotland Trust Homecoming Day - 28th November 2009
The dream I had was of an army of children and young people running wildly through the streets. The sense was of them being an army, full of strength and a sense of adventure or enthusiasm,. Their faces were glowing with the glory of God. Some were running with a great sense of purpose looking onwards as they went. Others were looking with wonder at the glory of God resting upon themselves but with not much wider vision, though the passion and enthusiasm were certainly there. They all came to a church and some of them seemed to run into the church and some of them ran on past the church. The ones that ran in to the church then beckoned to the ones who ran past to come in, which they did. There was a sense of rightness about going into the church. The army then emerged again. They had lost nothing of their glory or their passion, and seemed to be running with a great sense of direction and purpose. They had mantles upon their shoulders which they did not have before.