A HARVEST OF SERVICE
Vehicles being thrown around like toys in the rushing waters and heartbreaking stories of lives lost have filled the news reports. The damage to bumper harvests was also devastating, probably in the billions of dollars, as the states of Queensland, NSW and Victoria in Australia have been inundated with floods. As I speak a new cyclone is threatening to devastate Queensland even further.
In the midst of this devastation a harvest of another kind is ripening and producing an incredible return. Christian Churches right around Australia open the doors of their buildings as evacuation centres, feed the hungry, send volunteer teams to help clean houses, and give millions of dollars in aid. Scores of Christians giving not only practical help in a coordinated way, but emotional and spiritual help.
Jesus speaks of that kind of harvest in Matthew 13:23 (NLT). He says "The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"
HARVEST is important. What comes to mind when you think of being GOOD SOIL? Some kind of SICKLY SAINT who whines about the evil in world and tries to impress God with good works to gain points, right? That's not it! Surely? Please Lord, not that.
It is interesting to me that even when Jesus speaks about the good soil (Matthew 13:23), that some produce a harvest of only 30% AND 60%. Is He saying that even though I have responded the message of His Kingdom authority in my life that I can still live BELOW MY POTENTIAL and fail to produce a harvest of 100% RETURN? Don't get me wrong. I'm not beating myself up over this when I fail, but apparently God has designed my life to be 100% PRODUCTIVE, not dormant, limited or underlived. It's as if God is trying to say "Don't give Me excuses! Give me a RETURN! Go! Make a difference in the world for Me with what I have already INVESTED in your life. You can do it!"