I remember growing up, the harvest season was a busy time. There were crops to be harvested and sold, machines to maintain, and, in the midst of that chaos, animals still needed to be cared for. In a month or so, it would all be over – well, not the animal part – but the harvest also brought worry. We needed dry days for the corn and the fields, and, as the crops were harvested, there were always questions about the yield. Bringing in the harvest was both exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.
“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
In this time of change, we see God’s grace in autumn’s lessons.
Every farmer and gardener knows that harvest doesn’t come quickly. The planting is done in faith, months before the first crops appear. Seeds rest in darkness before they break open and grow. That’s often the way that the Spirit works in our lives.
Faithful living requires patience. We serve and wonder if we’ve made a difference. We pray and see no immediate result. We offer kindness to a difficult person and receive no kind word in return. We labor quietly in God’s vineyard—and it seems like nothing changes. Yet unseen, the roots are growing deeper. God’s timing ripens what our faith has planted.
If you’ve been sowing in love and have yet to see the fruit, take heart. God’s harvest is dependent on our striving, but the timing and the outward results are dependent on his promise. God, through the Spirit, is at work even when we can’t see it. When we do our part, God’s grace goes before us and works within us, preparing the way for transformation. Perhaps the seeds you’ve sown are being nurtured right now by that very grace.
In this autumn season, as fields and gardens yield their fruit, remember God is faithful and the harvest will come. What has been sown in prayer, perseverance, and love will not be lost. So, don’t grow tired of doing what is good, and don’t give up. The harvest is coming. God’s amazing harvest.
Prayer: Lord of the harvest, thank you for working in ways I can’t see. Strengthen me to keep doing good, to keep sowing seeds of love, and to trust your timing for the fruit that will come. Amen.
