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Pastor Beal

FALL'S HARVEST

"His Lord said unto him, Well done,
thou good and faithful servant..." Matt. 25:21

As one drives through the Midwest this time of year, he is reminded of the blessing of God, as we watch the farmers gather their grain into the bins. Harvest is payday for the farmers as they have worked the field, sowed the seed, pulled the weeds, and prayed to God for increase. Only God can warm the ground, send the clouds that carry the rain, and sprout life from the seed that first had to die that it might bring new and abundant life. Back in 1993 my family and I went to Colorado for a year to help a young church grow. About this time of year, during the evening service, a man asked for prayer concerning the upcoming winter. Everyone nodded in agreement that this was a real urgent request. This continued each week. I would ask my wife on the way home if there was something that we ought to be doing that we weren't aware of. We both agreed that the approaching winter left us with anticipation and some concern. Well, to our relief we found that winter in Durango, was much milder than the Midwest. It turned out that the cause of concern was over a lack of preparation, due to procrastination. These people had put off all summer cutting wood, fixing fence, and whatever else needed done. They were like so many people, in that they tried to replace preparation with prayer! Hey, I can relate to that. How many times did I pray in school, asking God to help me pass a test that I had failed to study for properly, if at all! As we watch the farmers harvest the work of their hands, and the blessing of God upon it; remember that if the seed had been left in the bags, and the weeds unattended, and the ground not prepared; it wouldn't have mattered how much they prayed. Matt. 9:37 says "The harvest is truly plenteous, but the laborers are few." Thanks! Pastor Earl Beal