REAPING THE HARVEST

 

To everything, there is a season - a time to sow, and a time to reap; the farmer ( sower ) certainly has his time of harvest but until he waters his seeds, rids the wheats of the tares and applies the fertilizer he is not guaranteed a good yield.

So also is every other sower. Until harvest time comes, there is always something we must do in order to maximize our yield. Some of these are explained below:

1. Clear the weeds from your field

“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”—Genesis 2:15, KJV

The word translated keep in Hebrew means “to put a hedge of thorns around, to watch over; to guard, protect and safeguard.” When a farmer plants seed in a garden, he doesn’t just walk away and hope for the best. No! He has much to do to protect his crop.

And so do you.

What can choke your crop? Walking outside of love. This includes unforgiveness, bitterness and strife. So, keep a watch on your heart, pull the “weeds” out by the roots when they crop up, spray them with the Word, and cast them out with the help of the Holy Spirit.

2. Water the Seed by praising The Lord

“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.”—Psalm 67:5-6, KJV

A farmer would never think of planting a field full of seeds and then neglect to water it. It would be a death sentence for his crop!

The same is true of seed we sow. It needs to be watered. But with what? Praise and thanksgiving—the language of faith. Throughout the Bible, we see praise and thanksgiving associated with a resulting harvest.

Praise God and thank Him in advance for your harvest. Thank Him that the hundredfold return is working all the time.

3. Put In the Sickle for Your Harvest

“But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.”—Mark 4:29, AMPC

Mark 4:29 demonstrates our role in reaping the harvest. To gather and collect our bountiful harvest, we must put in the sickle.

What is a sickle? It is a sharp instrument used for cutting crops during a harvest. Our sickle is the Word of God coming out of our mouths.  Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow….”

We reap our harvest the same way we acquire anything else—by faith. Our words of faith cut down the crops and bring in the harvest. In fact, words are an important part of the entire process of sowing and reaping. What you say is what you sow. And the words you speak today will dictate tomorrow’s harvest. So, be sure your words are calling in your harvest with faith. They are a powerful harvesting tool!

4. Command Your Harvest to Come

“Behold, the hire [or the harvest] of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped [the harvest] are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”—James 5:4, KJV

When your harvest is ready, it will cry out for its rightful owner. How do you command it to come in?

5. Cry out to the Lord for your harvest.

Now, to cry does not mean to whine or act pitiful. It is a cry of faith. It means to proclaim, and demand immediate action with aggressive force and passion. It means you cry out and say, “Satan, in the Name of Jesus, release my harvest!” and “Angels, go gather it up NOW!”

Your harvest is sure. But, first, practise these things to get yourself ready for them. Hallelujah !