The harvest, does it not belong to the Lord? Then why do we tend to work as if it belonged to us? If it belongs to the Lord, then we should do it as unto Him, following His plans for his desired outcome, then, leave the results to him. His plans are not necessarily as we think it should be. His measurement for success is not the same as ours, thankfully he has better calculations. What we may perceive as below expectations, or even failure, are in His book – considered highly successful. Let us remember to look to Him for the validation of our work. We lean to measuring by what we see in the immediate, external, and temporal, while He sees the heart, the spirit, and the eternal outcome.It is normal, and befitting, to have expectations, desired goals, and plans in place, the Lord certainly uses those gifting in us; we also need to draw on His creativity and unlimited imagination for inspiration. As we move forward, it’s imperative to be flexible and let Him direct our steps, to do our best in what He has called us to do, and let Him reap the reward.
Take courage, when things seem to go awry in our plans, all might just be falling into the Lord’s perfect order. He has this way of working things out, taking our failures and turning them into His successes.
Seeds we plant may not be harvested this season, but in a future by someone else. A single seed that appears to have died, for we see no life coming forth, will one day produce sevenfold, maybe even a hundred or more.
We can be confident that as we do our best our labor is not in vain, that the Lord in his timing will bring forth the fruit from our labors. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) tells us “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
God is a good – good God, who knows what He is doing. Our job is to follow Him, co-laboring together, not trying to lead or have it our way. Then trust Him to do what only He can do.
May the Lord richly bless all the laborers of the harvest with earthly and heavenly blessings, and prosper the works of their hands.
Beyond the Silver Coin 