Prepare for the Harvest

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Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:3-5 (The Message)

            You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.

Devotion:

            Today’s scripture would be right at home here 21 centuries later. According to recent surveys today’s Christian is not holding fast to the faith of our ancestors but increasingly many in the church are turning to doctrines and teachings that have no place in the Christian church. Almost half the evangelicals surveyed agreed with the statement that “Jesus was a great moral teacher, but he was not God.” (thestateofthology.com)

            From queer theology to prosperity theology, there is a theology to tickle anyone’s ears. And with the aid of the internet every new breeze that blows across the theological world attracts instant attention. As seen in the scripture above, spiritual junk food is piled wide and deep across our news sources. Those who preach the true message of salvation, by grace through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, are ignored because they are not new and exciting enough.

            What is a believer to do? First, we must pray. This is a spiritual battle, and it will be won by spiritual means. No man-made solution, no program or any solution made by fleshly man will win this battle. We must pray that God raises up for us and indeed from among us men and women who can lead us in this fight for the very soul of the church.

            We know that Jesus will be glorified through his church at the end of all history. Revelation confirms our victory. But that victory may be costly. The reputations, the livelihoods, and even life itself will be at risk, but that’s not too great a price to pay to be seen as a follower of Jesus Christ. We should be mindful of Jesus' words in the Gospel of John 4:35-38. The fields are ripe for harvesting we must pray to God to send more reapers that the harvest may be brought safely home.

Prayer:

            Lord, we see the fields of the great harvest that you have made ready for us to harvest. Raise up workers to go into the fields and harvest the souls you have made ready. May we all be ready to join the workforce of the kingdom. Young or old, new Christian or veteran of many a spiritual battle, God is calling all who name Jesus as their Lord and Savior to go to work. Strengthen every weak knee and faint heart that we all may go valiantly into the harvest. Amen.

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