by Pam Bender
A Time to Sow and a Time to Reap
It’s October, which is a wonderful time for our family. We are in the agricultural business and its harvest season. It’s an incredible thing to consider reaping a harvest. Farmers work hard in the spring to prepare the soil for planting seeds, then plant the seeds. Throughout the growing season, they fertilize and water their fields to give the seeds the nourishment they need. In the fall they reap the rewards of their labor. In our modern times, the sowing and reaping are done with the use of tractors and farming implements, but the formula (or pattern) remains the same. You plant seeds, tend the fields, and reap more than you sow. Have you ever enjoyed watching wheat sway in the breeze? Or heard corn growing in the heat of summer? How about tasting bread made from that wheat or enjoying sweet corn dripping with butter? Yes, its wonderful! We enjoy the “fruits” of our labor (or someone else’s). But what if they didn’t reap the harvest after its been planted? Or how about not planting at all? The consequences would be dire. Now let’s consider this spiritually. What if we never plant the seeds of the gospel in the first place? What if the harvest is ripe but we don’t spend the time harvesting? Why does it matter? It should matter to us because it matters to the Lord. Sin entered the world through the rebellion of Adam and we needed a Savior to redeem us from eternal separation from God. We know that Jesus is that Savior. But what if someone had not “planted” the seeds of the gospel in our lives? Would we be a fruitless and barren land? What if someone hadn’t asked us if we had ever asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and led us to the Lord in prayer…reaping the “harvest” of our personal salvation? Those consequences would be even more dire. There are so many scriptures in the Bible that reference reaping and sowing. In Luke 10:2, Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” In Ecclesiastes 3, King Solomon wrote: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted…” And in Proverbs 20:4, a sobering word says, “Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.” Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” This is something the Lord expects from each of his followers. We all have a part in sowing and reaping. When I was a child, I lived down the block from an older couple (Mr. and Mrs. Quick) who were about the age of my grandparents. They had a big, beautiful weeping willow tree in their front yard that we loved to play under. I don’t really remember a lot about them, but there are two very important things I do remember. They were loving and kind. And occasionally, they would give us a Christian tract. In the whole realm of things, this may seem like an insignificant gesture, but I’m in my mid 50’s and still remember this. Their small Christian tracts made a significant impact in my life. Did I immediately give my life to Jesus after reading the tract? I wish I could say yes, but sadly, I didn’t receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior until I was 29 years old. Did Mr. and Mrs. Quick ever learn of my salvation decision? I doubt it. We moved away from that neighborhood when I was 13 years old and lost contact with them. They sowed but didn’t see the fruits of their labor. However, the Lord of the harvest made sure to water the field of my heart so that their labor wasn’t in vain. I encourage you to build relationships with your neighbors and share the love of the Lord with them. Pray for a “field” to sow, share a Christian tract with them, give them a note of love from Jesus or an invite to church. You may not see a harvest right away, or in your lifetime, but I can attest that it can be a part of someone’s journey to salvation through Jesus. I can’t wait to see Mr. and Mrs. Quick one day in heaven and share my testimony with them! And, I can’t wait to see the impact my life has been for the gospel in someone else’s life. How about you?  Image by Todd Elder By Alyssa JacksonManaging Editor (Fall 2018) and former Life Editor of "The Collegian" student newspaper of Grove City College, PA “Coffee,” “be you,” “be good to people,” “good vibes” read the shabby chic signs on the wall in the coffee shop where I sit. Attractive little things on the outside, but why be good to people? Why have good vibes? And isn’t it obvious that a person should be himself? Without truth behind words, they quickly lose their meaning. These phrases evoke emotions but dig no deeper than the surface and leave emptiness inside. Instead of finding fulfillment in truth, people grasp at food, sex, material belongings, and “spiritual” experiences in a desperate attempt to feel full.
There must be something to fill that hole. There must be something so pure, so powerful, so satisfying that we will long for nothing else. Truth that conquers the lies of the world. But what if there was no hope of such? What if there was no knowledge of truth? Would I want to live in such a world? No, I think I would rather die. Where can thirst-quenching water and satisfying food be found? The Bible makes 139 references to the word “truth.” I’d say that’s a good foundation. Some may quote the verse, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” in John 8:32. But many may skip over the knowing part and just see the freedom promised. But if we back up, just one verse, we clearly see where the truth comes from. “So, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” First, Jesus said. We must believe in Him. Later in the book of John we read, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” The way, the truth, and the life. That is the complete package. For those wandering aimlessly, He is the way; for those hopelessly seeking, He is the truth; for those desperate to find meaning, He is life. Second, we must abide in Him. In this place of intimacy, we find sustenance. We abide in him through knowing him through his word. In this world today, we have taken God and His Word out of schools, out of public places, and sometimes even out of our churches. If we have refused to accept the truth of Christ, it is no wonder we are in the jumbled mess we are in today. His creation still cries out his name, but do we as Christians? Do Christians forget their citizenship in heaven and instead also get trapped seeking fulfillment on this earth? 1 Peter 4:17 says, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” We will be judged when Christ comes again. Let us live in the light of revealed truth. Let us not be afraid to stand firm and to share the truth in this broken world.  Thomas Gainsborough [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons By Alyssa JacksonManaging Editor (Fall 2018) and former Life Editor of "The Collegian" student newspaper of Grove City College, PA Psalm 19:1“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” The painter’s hand lightly grasps the brush. Green and black splash together on the bristles forming a leafy green. As the paint hits the canvas, the foliage blooms. Each new stroke fills the canvas with life. The angle of the brush changes to release more black than green, forming the shadow of the leaf. Each complex stroke diminishes the white background. Days pass before the painter calls his work complete. Such care is unmatched. Each release of color holds thought and intention. Every move is carefully planned. If the human artist takes such great care in the making of one painting, how much more does the Creator commit when He created the world and everything in it? He carefully crafted each leaf, each flower, each sunrise, each ocean, each human. How can God not exist? Innately we know that a power greater than us exists. How can someone choose not to acknowledge the God who reveals Himself so clearly? It is the fool who says, “There is no God!” (Psalm 14:1). No human can deny the beauty of a purple orange sunset, or the calming sound of waves hitting the shore. We know what beauty is because we are created in the image of the God, the Inventor of beauty. It’s like an instinct in an animal, we recognize beautiful things. Yet unlike animals, we can know the source of that beauty. We can know intimately our Creator. We can begin to understand the mystery of His greatness. We can look to Him who sent His only Son to die for our sins that we may live forever with Him in the ultimate beauty of heaven. We can long for that day and be reminded of this reward to come every time we see Him reflected in his creation here on earth. Look around at the spectrum of color from the tiniest spider to the swooping rainbow. See how lines innumerable run through the delicate, sheer leaf like veins on your hand. Taste the sweetness of a cherry or the heartiness of a steak. Smell the warm summer rain. Feel the smoothness of a stone or the fluff of a dog. Hear the wind brush the trees like waves hitting the shore. Creation does indeed declare the glory of God and proclaim his handiwork. Let us do the same.  |
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