Hope for the Harvest

Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain

– Psalm 126:5,6

Dear Pastor,

I’ve been watching you and you have changed.

There was a day when you would cry over the plight of the lost. You wanted nothing more than to follow the Master into the field, to labor in His vineyard, to take His yoke upon you. Now your eyes are dry and your soul is wandering. Your passions have cooled to indifference. You are coasting toward a stop. 

There was a time when you didn’t bat an eye at the cost. You welcomed long hours in prayer. You hungered for His Word and eagerly obeyed it. Your schedule and wallet were open to the Lord’s work, however He chose to use them. And when He did use them, you were awed and humbled. Your heart ached for His Kingdom to come and you refused to be satisfied by anything  less. Now you welcome any diversion from Him, His presence, His Kingdom. You chafe at the thought of giving more than your ‘required’ Sunday morning and 10%. You expect Him not to bother you when you’re “off the clock.” 

As I consider your plight, pastor, I cast no stones. You have long toiled in fallow ground, wrestled with weeds, and struggled against pesky birds. Your faithfulness to this point is no small thing. You have not neglected your post. And your labor has not been without fruit! But now any harvest you’ve seen over the years is a distant memory and any future harvest seems, well…doubtful.

Pastor, I call to your remembrance the promise of the Lord of the Harvest: “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.”

You have asked, “Does it have to be this hard?” The answer is, “Yes.” Our Lord labored with “loud cries and tears.” We will do no less. He asked the Father for another way, and none was given. It is through tears the Gospel is sown. This is His way. 

And so is rejoicing! As the harvest began to come in, our Lord rejoiced! We have the promise that we will share in His joy just as we have shared in His sorrows! No matter how dry and dead the desert seems, He will restore our fortunes and send forth the streams of joy!  Surely as the seed of His body broke out of the tomb with new life, those that join Him in His labor will see every buried seed break forth into new life, and rejoice! 

Friend, do not grow weary in your labors for the Master. His hand is gently lifting your head. Look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest. He does not ask you to labor and weep alone. Do not let your tears blind you to His presence. Don’t let your grief cause you to miss the hope in His eyes. These fields will one day resound with His shouts of joy. The harvest will surely come. 

May our times together here fill you with renewed vision and restored strength. Together, may we continually go forth, tears and all, until we enter into the joy of our Master. 

Grace and peace,

Delton

Artwork: “Piling Worker,” Willem Witsen