“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.- John 4:35
I had felt a need to spend some time alone with the Lord and so I headed to my study to read His Word. A little later on there was a knock on the door… “Come in…” I said. Seven year old Noah appeared smiling, dressed in his soccer uniform ready for his game ( He had been dressed about four hours before his game! )
PASS THE CORNFLAKES! “What are you doing dad?” he asked as he came and sat beside me. I told him I was reading my Bible, that I needed to FEED my soul as I had a need … straight away he replied…
“WHY DON’T YOU EAT SOME CORNFLAKES?”... It was hard not to burst out laughing at his take of my expressed “hunger.” I shared with him it was not a PHYSICAL hunger which food alone could satisfy but an internal Hunger that Only God could satisfy and His Word is a means to doing so. The Lord Jesus said “Man shall not live by bread alone, BUT on EVERY WORD that Proceeds out of My mouth.”-Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 1:2
TWO HUNGERS CONTRASTED – As he left the room the passage in John 4:31-38 came to mind. It is the story of the disciples that went to get some food and coming back found Jesus speaking to a woman in Samaria … they urged Him to eat “But He said to them” I have FOOD to eat that YOU DO NOT KNOW ABOUT.” The disciples were saying to one another “No one brought Him anything to eat did he?” – Verse 33. They were wondering where did He get food from.
Jesus said to them, “My FOOD is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His Work. Do you not say there are four months, and THEN comes the harvest? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.”
TEMPORAL OVER THE SPIRITUAL- How often like little Noah or the Disciples we tend to look on the physical and temporal to the exclusion of the Spiritual. We misunderstand and misdiagnose a persons need assuming something temporal or “practical” is the Answer. In the case of the disciples-they were thinking “food” while Jesus as thinking “the will of My father” and the souls of men. While they were concerned about the physical [Which is not wrong in itself as if we don’t eat we die!]. But the Lord Jesus, the Perfect Man was concerned about His Father’s Business and indeed that is why in John 4:4 it says, “He HAD TO go through Samaria.” Samaritans were despised by the Jews, but NOT by the Lord.
SEVERAL THINGS TO PONDER
1. Is there a group of people or persons that you Keep away from. Trusting someone else to “share” the Good News with. I know at Christmas there is always a great rush of volunteers to help at handing out dinners at the homeless shelter and at “Thanksgiving.” Yet after the “good deed” done, we go back to our homes and churches “snug and even some times “proud” of our “good deed”, and the rest of the year, we do not go near those “Samaritans”
2. The Spiritual Hunger God creates in you, where do you try and fill it? At the refrigerator? At the Store, shopping? Materially gathering of things? Climbing the ladder of “success.”
3. Are you about the Father’s Business? The fields are white, which speaks of the harvest being ready…right where you live and work … God has placed you perhaps with some people who drive you nuts…[You and I may just be getting a glimpse of our own sinful attitudes that these people are but tools to bring to the surface of our lives to be exposed, and repented of.]
Is your desire for the Glory of God and the souls of men greater than the desire for temporal and personal satisfaction or relief?
4. “There are YET Four months and THEN Comes the Harvest.” Jesus said to them. The point being, when you sow the seed as a farmer, it takes TIME for it to Germinate and Sprout. So in between you can do other things, and then come back at a later date to check on the ripeness or readiness of what you have sown, you have TIME to do other things in between planting and harvesting.
But the Lord Jesus said to them the TIME for Harvesting is PRESENT TENSE… NOW!!! The Bible says “Today is the day of Salvation….” Now is the time of Opportunity. Ephesians 5: 15 says “be careful how you live, not as unwise men, but as wise, redeeming the TIME…” The Psalmist said “teach me to number my days….”
There are People God brings into our Lives, whether it is stopping to help someone change a tire whom we may never see again … whether its a Mom who shops at the same store and continues to have the same cashier … or business associates … school mates… Ask God who you can share with and How to “fish for the souls of men.” He says as you “Follow Me, I WILL make you fishers of men.” The master Fisherman and Teacher is only too willing to teach those who follow…the reason we are often not fishing is because we are not Following … our Focus is on the Temporal rather than the Eternal!
5. Self Occupation and absorption is often a source of great discouragement and depression. It is when we get involved in the lives of others and “give ourselves” to the preferring and promoting of the needs of others that we often experience the greatest blessing- 2 Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 2:3-5
WHAT TIME IS IT IN YOUR LIFE?
How often like the disciples we like to say, there is TIME to get to the Business of the Father … there is plenty of TIME … and we pursue comfort of food, materialistic things with a vigor, and enthusiasm and zeal that we do not often have for God and His Harvest.
Once while on a youth retreat a man, who was a camp counselor pulled some cash from his pocket and said this is what he lived for … how sad … yet often how true … we get sidetracked by the temporal pursuits, don’t we?
Paul said to the church at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 15:34, “Become sober minded as you ought, stop sinning; for Some have no knowledge of God, I speak this to YOUR Shame.” In Haggai 1, the people had been commissioned to do a work for God. Years later it was not done, they to said it was not TIME, yet they had TIME to gather, accumulate and pursue personal gain, and the comforts of their home. It was then God said to the prophet to speak and say to them…”Consider your Ways… Consider your ways… Consider your ways….”
Little did I know when Little Noah walked in responded to “go eat some cornflakes,” how the Lord would use that for me to be reminded afresh and anew … my ultimate need is Him… He feeds me through His Word, as Matthew 4:4 and 1 Peter 2:2. He encourages me by His Spirit through His Word-Romans 15:4-5 and I am to Hold forth His Word which is the Word of Life- Philippians 2:16…”so that in the day of Christ, I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain or toil in vain.” This verse says it is possible for a Christian to “Run in VAIN and to Toil in VAIN.”
We are all running and toiling but is it in Vain from Gods Perspective?
ATTITUDE CHECK
A. What way am I fulfilling the Great Commission in the part of the Harvest field in which God has planted me?
B. Am I “laboring” in prayer as Epaphras in Colossians 4:12.
C. Am I doing “all things for the sake of the Gospel” as Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 9:23?
D. Am I complaining about unwanted circumstances or Proclaiming the Lord Jesus, Liberator of Men.” -Phil 1:12
A COMPELLING HEART
Jesus HAD TO go through Samaria…He was Compelled Inwardly by the Spirit of God to be about the Father’s Business… What is it that Compels you to Do what you DO?
Over the years I have met Professional Athletes from all sports, yesterday I was thinking of some of them … they travel on road trips, flying and getting into strange hotel rooms at all hours of the night, these men sacrifice, TIME, Energy and indeed FAMILIES as they so often spend so much time on the road…but for What and more importantly for WHOM? Self or the Savior and the Souls of men, or for Money? “But its their job” some might cry and indeed it may be…but it is not about jobs-but about The Father’s Business in the place where He has placed us- IS His Kingdom being modeled and made known and furthered because you are in that “job”?
Indeed God has His servants everywhere … but are they and we toiling in VAIN or are we Compelled for the Glory of God and the salvation of men’s souls… Will it be Pass the Cornflakes or is it TIME to take Inventory and see are you and I about the Fathers Business… Jesus’ “Food” that Sustained and Nourished Him was the Glory, Honor of His Father being made known and His Kingdom coming in the lives of men… Is that what sustains you or I today… or like Haggai, need we too “Consider your ways…?”
God help us to PRIORITIZE our Lives to Be about the Fathers Business.
You are Loved, You are His, You are An Ambassador of the Living God-Represent Him well, I am praying for you as I write, to Focus on the Will of the Father as Supreme where you are…. Hebrews 12:2 says “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us Fixing our eyes on Jesus….”
There is Physical Hunger which God has given us and it is good when that can be met … But oh, dearly beloved there is a Spiritual Hunger that the Son of God demonstrates which He desires once again to seek and save men through you and me in His Harvest. Is it time to repent, as a church as an individual of or lack of love for Him, our lack of Concern for His business, our lack of concern for the Eternal souls of those around us. Is it time to repent of our love and consumption for the material rather than the coming of the Kingdom in the hearts of men?
LOVE IS THE ISSUE
Paul said the “Love of Christ COMPELS me…”- 2 Corinthians 5:14…
Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me more than these?”… There are always Competing affections for us…. the world and the flesh and the devil always trying to sidetrack us from the Father’s Business
To the church in Ephesus… He told them they had “left their First Love.” When First Love for the Lord Jesus is chosen to be relegated and replaced, then the Love of Christ for lost souls will also be relegated and displaced by something of the Temporal. The more we FOCUS on Him-Heb 12:2…the more we will develop His heart and His heart is of the souls of people…”Its not Gods desire that any should perish but all come to repentance.”- 1 Peter 2:9. Is that our DESIRE?
Ask Him to give you that “DESIRE”…pray for me and mine to have that desire…that we too are not willing any should perish and that it would govern our view of those we meet…When that “DESIRE” becomes our “desire” then we will lift up our eyes and see the harvest -it is ripe- it is now … and will Lose our lives where we are – “that none may perish,” may be our cry. Do people perish in their sin? Yes,! Are we to sit back in our own comforts wile so many millions sit in spiritual darkness? Is life all about us? Or is it about Loving God and loving our neighbor? So many times we say I am not old enough…or I am too old…or I am PURSUING A CAREER…{rather than Pursuing the Lord Jesus and the Business of Gods Kingdom} . IS IT WRONG TO PURSUE A CAREER? THAT ALL DEPENDS ON THE MOTIVE…
IT’S A QUESTION OF MOTIVE- WHY AND FOR WHOM AM I PURSUING THIS FOR?
The question to ask yourself is FOR WHOSE SAKE am I pursuing this for? The Lords or mine? Paul said “I do ALL Things for the SAKE OF THE GOSPEL,” – 1 Cor 9:23. This verse revealed his MOTIVE for doing what he was doing….for the sake of the Gospel!
We often list excuse after excuse…that we don’t have TIME. But have you ever noticed we have time to love and pursue the things we truly love? We tend to “MAKE TIME” for those things that are important…and often this reveals where our treasure and where our heart truly is. For what we tend to value and treasure is what we ultimately Love most, isn’t it. Didn’t the Lord Jesus say,” For where your treasure is there your heart will be also”-Matthew 6:21
As a Follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are God’s beloved people, if your life has been given to God and your faith is in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and He has committed Himself to you…you have extreme value to the Kingdom of God- you can Pray…you can Proclaim, you can Provide time and resources and prayers for others who are going…. you are a wonderful tool in the hands of Almighty God that through your weakness He may show Himself strong.
WHICH WORLD
John Wesley was walking in the garden of a wealthy friend once. His friend said to Wesley “ALL THIS you could have had!” To which Wesley replied “Oh, but there is another world!” Indeed there is and one man chose to invest and toiled for this worlds wealth while Wesley chose to invest his life for the World to Come… Which world are you investing in?
Be encouraged- God has and will use you…don’t get side tracked. perhaps you say, “But I have got away from the Father’s Business”. Then praise God you know so, confess your sin, make the adjustments you need to in your attitude and your choices you are making and start again- The Blood of JESUS CHRIST cleanses us from all sin- John 1:7,9
You are loved. Pray for us that we too would not be sidetracked but would be about my Father’s Business