SEED TIME AND HARVEST
SEED TIME AND HARVEST
In most orthodox churches , it’s the harvest season. I grew up in an Anglican Church and last week was our Annual Harvest Thanksgiving Service. It was indeed an uplifting and refreshing time. All church groups took turns to dance forward with thanksgiving and praises bringing their gifts before the Lord (of the Harvest) in appreciation of His goodness, mercy, faithfulness and loving kindness over the past year. There were loads and loads of baskets of fresh farm produce which is an indication of appreciation to God for the food of the land.
In some countries, like Britain, for instance it is known that over the centuries thanks have always been given for successful harvests. The Harvest festival is traditionally held on a Sunday towards the end of September and it is usually celebrated with singing of hymns, praying, and decorating churches with baskets of fruit and food in the festival known as Harvest Festival, Harvest Home, Harvest Thanksgiving or Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving. In North America, Canada and the US each have their own Thanksgiving celebrations in October and November.
The word “harvest” is both a noun and a verb. As a noun it means the time or season of the year when crops are ripe and ready to be gathered. As a verb it means the action of picking or gathering something. It could also mean the result or consequence of a past action.(or of what was sown.)
We have been told that; “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22 KJV Therefore the harvest must come. Whatever we are doing, all our actions will have consequences and results. “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” Galatians 6: 7 NLT
So what are you planting? What are you sowing? Remember that the harvest is always so much more than the seed we sow and not every harvest is a good, bountiful one. Sometimes a harvest is not successful because the quality of the seed planted is poor or some of the conditions required to have a bounty were not met. When this is the case, there will be little or nothing to harvest. Sometimes the harvest comes up rotten. Let us therefore be mindful of what we are planting right now, because the harvest will surely come. Just as harvest time varies from crop to crop and from region to region, so will the results of our actions vary from person to person. A woman who conceives will harvest a bouncing healthy baby in nine months. But…. if during pregnancy she ate and drank substances that could be harmful to the foetus she might not be delivered of a healthy baby after all. What are you feeding your eyes, mind and spirit? What are you speaking to yourself, your offspring and your loved ones? What are you investing time, efforts and finances in? All these are seeds we are sowing and they will all have a harvest. Expect to celebrate a great harvest if you have been sowing good seeds. And if you are sure you have been sowing good seeds be rest assured that the harvest will surely come. It may take a while but it will come in a great bounty. Be patient. Do not be in a hurry and end up disrupting the process. Remember God is the one who adds the increase and He will do that at the appointed time of your harvest.
PLANT GOOD SEEDS TODAY AND CELEBRATE YOUR HARVEST TOMORROW.
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©