HARVEST TIME— LABORERS NEEDED!

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” —Matthew 9:37-38

My wife and I went to her family farm a couple years ago at harvest time. Five acres is being rented to a man who grows pumpkins and gourds. Apparently, we got there after the harvest took place, but as we look over the growing area there were still a great number of small pumpkins and gourds still in the field. In reality the harvest was not complete and my wife and I filled our vehicle for the children at our daycare. There were many pumpkins and gourds in the field still not harvested after we left. If we had enough people, we could have harvested the rest of the field, but we did not have the laborers needed to complete the task.

So it is with the world’s harvest fields. There are people all over this planet ready to be “picked.” Unfortunately, there are not enough laborers for the harvest that is ready. Jesus specifically tells us to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Apparently, His followers need encouragement by Him to go out into the harvest because they will not go out on their own.

I have always found it interesting that God’s people will put time, energy, strategy and resources into planning to teach a class, hand out food and clothing, have men’s and women’s breakfast, have a church dinner and many other ministries, but there is very little or no effort in a strategy to reach the lost in the harvest field. Many ministries may even be to the lost, but the gospel is not share with them. Interesting how we can be walking around in the harvest field without laboring to bring the harvest in!

Do you agree with Jesus that the laborers are few in the harvest field? Are you heeding His command to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest?” May we be doing so and then may we also be willing to labor in the harvest field ourselves.

Dear Father, be pleased to rise up laborers for Your harvest. Oh, that many men, women and youth would truly have a desire to reach the lost with the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. May it be so!