Don't miss the harvest - connecting the dots

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." JOHN 4:34-35

Ripe for the harvest. Y'all, I believe our country is ripe for a harvest. I believe we are in a period of time where Jesus is calling purveyors of His truth to rise. Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest! I don't want to save people! Only Jesus does that. But I do want to show people the healing that can be found only in His love. I want to offer freedom to the captives and daily success through this troubled world. Boy, is this world troubled. The pain, loss, and hatred of 2020 has planted open, hungry hearts in the center of mankind. The ground has been made soft by this past year. I don't believe God gave us COVID to judge mankind, but I do believe He can use it to draw His children into His loving arms. So, how do we successfully reap in this season? We reap by reading our Bible more and our social media feeds less. We reap by seeking the truth of the Holy Spirit, not by seeking truth in the media or on YouTube. We reap by loving God with all our heart, and not giving the best of ourselves to our politics. We reap by loving our neighbor as ourselves, not by saying "we gotta take care of our own first." We reap by laying down pride, by turn, turn, turning from self-righteous indignation. We reap by admitting where we have been wrong. We reap by modeling forgiveness. Y'all, I've been working on this one. My heart hurts from religious friends who told me I wasn't a "true Christian" when I questioned if Donald Trump was the best representative for Christianity. I have had to lay down my offense over and over, understanding it's not about me. It's about doing His will. In the verses above in John, Jesus said his food was to do the will of His Father. We reap by loving first. Loving God, and loving others. The "others" here includes those who think different than you, look different than you, vote different than you, and live different than you. If you're interested in being in a "Saved Club" where you and your closest friends get to go to Heaven, then by all means, continue the work you've been doing. But if you desire to truly open your eyes and see the field, then I encourage you to step away from the worldly distraction. Step away from the law, and step into His grace. Step into the neighborhoods, lifestyles, and groups you sneer at, and join the Father in showing EVERYONE the way home. Dear God, I praise you for the harvest that is to come after this trying year. Please help us to sow and reap with reverence and gratitude. In Jesus' name, amen.