Harvest Time
Whenever I think of the fall season, I think of harvest time. Growing up in the country, my siblings and I observed all the beauty of fall and harvest. Like many black and poor families living in the rural of north east Texas at that time, we experienced harvest season. I remember my family picking crops of cotton, peas, peanuts, pecans and pears. Sometimes daddy planted his own peanuts and sweet potatoes. But, we picked as many pears and pecans that we desired from the share cropper’s trees where we lived. I still remember how sweet and juicy those pears were.
We saw the farmers who brought their harvest to the Market Square on Saturdays. Many sold their produce and vegetables from the back of their trucks. And of course, who could forget those old green cotton trailers carrying loads of harvested cotton to the cotton gin?
If a farmer is to receive a harvest, he must sow before he reaps. To sow means to scatter or plant seeds. To reap means to cut, gather or receive a reward from labor. Harvest means the gathering of a crop, the product of labor, consequences or effect. Some people might think of harvest time only as a time for gathering fruits, vegetables or textile products. However, scripture reminds us that harvest is more than an agricultural term. It is also a biblical principle.
During our Podcast this month we recall our experiences of harvest time from a by-gone era. But, we also focus on God’s Harvest Time. The Bible teaches us the principle of sowing and reaping. Everyone will receive a harvest, good or bad. However, while everyone desires a good harvest, that will not be the case. For sowing and reaping has a general application in life, what we get out of life is often what we put in it.
Ultimately, for those who sow faith in Christ, God promises the very best harvest of all. They will reap eternal life with Him! Hosea 6:11 says, “There is a harvest appointed for you when I restore the fortunes of my people.”
Food for Today:
Galatians 6:7
“For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
Picture courtesy of How to Grow Barlett Pear Trees (Williams Pear Trees)
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