They Are Ripe for Harvest

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The mother plant

I was eating breakfast this morning and I saw something peculiar. We used to have a kitchen appliance in front of the window and I had placed some small succulent plants on the window sill behind it. In order to water them, I would have to streeeetch past the appliance or contort my arm to reach behind it and carefully dribble some water into the small pots. That is, if I remembered to do so.


But I recently moved the appliance to the adjacent wall and placed our dining table in front of the window. So as I was sitting there this morning, I was looking at the plants, and to my surprise several of the leaves had fallen off, sprouted and began to grow new stems and leaves!

My Father is always at his work, and I, too, am working.
John 5:17

I was amazed at how these little leaves were growing so well even when I did not tend to them or water them at all. They aren’t even in soil! And it made me think about how God does this in the lives of people. He is the good shepherd who watches, guides and protects each person. He works behind the scenes so that they may grow and be fruitful. Jesus said, “My father is always at his work to this very day…” He works hard to prepare them so that they come to our campuses, ready to receive a Bible study invitation, eager to cross over from death to life.

Look at all those roots!

This is how Jesus could say to the disciples, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together” (John 4:35-36). Even though it appeared as if the people were leaves that had fallen off, with no soil or water, and would imminently wither, Jesus said, “It is not so!”

Since God is working hard behind the scenes, I see that now I need to go and do my part. I pray that we go to our campuses with this faith: Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest!

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leotbrzl
Member
January 7, 2023 12:17 am

Amen! Thank you for such a touching and encouraging message. I was reminded of Gods work upon my life. And Gods desire to do great things in the lives of the students.

Sabaaa
Member
January 11, 2023 8:05 pm

Yeahhhh! Perfect timing, the semester just started this week for me and it’s encouraging to think about how God works behind the scenes…it definitely helps me to remember that the success of mission entirely depends on God, and to rely on Him through prayer. Btw those pictures are so professional looking!! Was it taken with a phone?

Sabaaa
Member
Reply to  Nez
January 11, 2023 11:47 pm

Wow yeah the first picture definitely caught my eye with the blurred background and focus on the mug. Nice photography!

My sister had succulents but they completely died in a heat wave…also reminds me of Melissa’s poor exploding cactus xD it seems these plants are not necessarily easy to take care of! But when God steps into the picture, anything is possible haha

meliburd
Member
Reply to  Sabaaa
January 13, 2023 6:34 am

Hahaha oh don’t remind me. I actually have a plant similar to the one in these pictures. So far it’s still alive……barely…….

Sabaaa
Member
Reply to  meliburd
January 13, 2023 10:03 pm

Just trying to remember the details you mentioned before – was it because you overwatered the cactus? Did it explode in the summer or the winter? How did it look??? LOL

meliburd
Member
Reply to  Sabaaa
January 14, 2023 9:58 am

It was living in my room for several months. And I thought they were like every other plant, so I watered it every day. Then it started to grow fatter, and I was excited. Little did I know that it was only getting fatter with water, until it exploded lol. RIP cactus….

Sabaaa
Member
Reply to  meliburd
January 14, 2023 2:00 pm

LOLL that’s hilarious. RIP cactus. Did it explode while you were in the room, or did you just come home to its scattered bits and pieces? Maybe you’ll see it again in heaven, a resurrected version of itself 😀

meliburd
Member
Reply to  Sabaaa
January 14, 2023 4:17 pm

Thankfully, I did not witness the cactus death. I would have cried. But yes, I do hope that my cactus will have a glorious resurrected cactus body in heaven!

D4gvn1
Member
January 11, 2023 8:58 pm

This reminds me also how I don’t have to worry, if God would take care of plants how much more will he take care of me!

HIMorales
Member
Reply to  D4gvn1
January 14, 2023 10:40 am

Amen, very simple but powerful faith!

Nikolai.3527
Member
Reply to  Nez
January 22, 2023 9:21 pm

Yes! When you said how God is even concerned about “speechless plants”, that made me appreciate how God the gardener knows each and every one of His “plants” in His garden perfectly. He knows what each of His plants (or people) need, even though they may not say or even know what they need. That fact comforts me greatly.

Sabaaa
Member
Reply to  Nez
January 23, 2023 11:04 pm

Whoa that’s deep…yeah we each speak our own language that maybe people don’t catch on to. We have our own small expressions and silent ways of communicating, and then feel let down when we don’t feel understood.It’s weird cuz we’re all speaking English, but to some we might as well be speaking gibberish. I’m glad God understands what we mean and what’s going on in our hearts T.T

Nita
Member
January 11, 2023 10:30 pm

Wow what a beautiful post I am reminded of the father as the gardener. I am also reminded of doing my part as well and entrusting everything into God’s hands while he prepares the perfect environment for each and everyone of us to grow.

Sabaaa
Member
Reply to  Nita
January 13, 2023 10:08 pm

That make me think of how you always say at the end of your prayers, “We leave everything in your hands.” That prayer is a gentle reminder to me that in the end, it’s all up to Him and He is the one who ultimately holds our lives 🙂

remfeng
Member
January 12, 2023 12:10 am

Looking at this I remember another verse from Mark 4:27

Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

God is working behind the scene, so keep fishing keep teaching and keep wrestling!

meliburd
Member
Reply to  remfeng
January 13, 2023 6:30 am

I thought of the same verse from Mark!! So cool.

maburdi
January 12, 2023 8:59 am

I sometimes think that when students reject Bible study, it means that’s it for them, they have missed the chance for salvation. But how many times I rejected those messengers God sent to me and still he did not give up on me! God is really the God of hope. I was reminded of Jesus’ hope and how he does not cut off even a bruised reed – even a leaf from a small house plant I guess. I am hopeful knowing that God is working hard for each person even when I don’t see or understand what he is doing. Thanks for the inspiration.

meliburd
Member
Reply to  maburdi
January 13, 2023 6:32 am

“He does not cut off even a bruised reed – even a leaf from a small house plant I guess.” Love that. So encouraging.

Robert
Member
January 12, 2023 9:44 am

So true. We put in just a tiny bit of effort to go and get over onto campus and fish and teach. Then through that God does a great work and even years later we can enjoy the benefits as we see the saved souls working alongside us in the mission field. God is really a God of abundant blessing.

meliburd
Member
January 13, 2023 6:30 am

Wow! I love how God uses anything and everything to reveal such inspiring messages to us! This also reminds me of Mark 4:26-29.

“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain–first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.”

Thank you for sharing this. It really encouraged me to keep going even when things don’t look very fruitful. And very timely for the start of the semester. The start of the spring semester always feels a little more sluggish than the fall semester, so I definitely needed this!

Sabaaa
Member
Reply to  meliburd
January 23, 2023 11:08 pm

Oh that’s interesting, why is it that the spring semester feels sluggish for you? For me, I don’t think of it as sluggish so much as COLD. It’s still winter and it’s FREEZING ON CAMPUS AHHHHH

HIMorales
Member
January 14, 2023 10:39 am

This post is very encouraging, taking me behind the scenes of the mission field to see the Father who is always at his soul-saving work, even zealously.

It may not be visible but with the eyeglasses of faith I can see what God is doing on the campus and work together with him so students may cross over from death to life!

Nikolai.3527
Member
January 22, 2023 9:13 pm

Thank you for this encouraging post! I easily forget that truth that there are students who are prepared and ready to cross from death to life since it looks like many students just won’t respond to my invitations. But this really encourages me to persevere and never give up in finding those students when I go fish on campus! And of course, I need God’s help and support to find those students. That is something I can’t do by own strength alone.