Hosanna Restoration Church

As we look at giving and begin to digest the fact that there is nothing wrong with believing that God really does want us to receive a return in this lifetime and in the end eternal life, we may as well consider that there is another step, and that is harvesting. I know that our tendency is to try and spiritualize everything and make it all pertain to the end of the world and a heavenly economy, but Jesus said that He came to give us life now! I think that extending everything out into the distant future may have cost the kingdom of God the harvest of many souls. So please don’t stop reading just yet.

The impression I received from God concerning this, was that most of us have been taking the corners and leaving the field when it comes to harvesting. Remember in the story of Ruth we learned that the harvesters would go and leave the corners of the fields for the needy. Ruth harvested the corners for a day or so and then she was even given permission to take it from any part of the field she wanted.

For those of us who live in the Midwest, farm talk makes sense, but anyone who plants anything plans for something to grow, and when it is ready they harvest it! Even if it is a flower in the window the harvest can be anything from simply enjoying looking at it, to plucking it and giving it to someone. The point is that when we plant something we expect it to produce and once it produces we harvest it.

There is an obvious difference in receiving and harvesting. Receiving is a passive act. When we receive, we take what we get and we are grateful. When we harvest we go get it. We always give thanks to God for everything we receive or harvest because it all comes from Him. So, when a farmer plants a crop he expects it grow. When it is ready, he goes out and harvests it. He does not just cut off the corners and leave the rest. He does not leave anything. He gets it all. If he hires someone else to harvest it, he does not tell the harvesters to just give him whatever they think is fair. It is his crop and he makes sure he gets his share. In fact, he watches closely in order to make sure he gets what is coming to him.

In the same sense, we would not walk into a store and lay down money and tell them to give us whatever they think would be fair for the money. We don’t tell a car dealer that we have a certain amount of money and to just leave a vehicle of his choice in our driveway. We would not give a realtor money for a big house and allow them to substitute a little tiny one. God expects us to be wiser than that.

We may not be of this world Christians, but we do live in it! And God intends for us to give and receive and plant and to harvest. A failure to understand this only results in leaving the harvest to rot or for others with wisdom to put it in their bins. Don’t complain if you see other people prosper, when you refuse to harvest what you plant.