Skip to main content

February 25 The Wise And Foolish Christian: Must Be Somebody Else!

He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. ~Proverbs 10:5

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” ~Matthew 9:36-38

I’ll bet you thought that Solomon was talking about crops, and I suppose he was, but Jesus was talking about a crop too, right under His disciples’ noses and they didn’t notice.

Yesterday, we talked about the difference between those who are lazy as an act of will and those who don’t have opportunity. We already know from the proverbs over the last two days that laziness isn’t a good idea. However, shouldn’t the same admonitions apply to lazy Christians? It’s not that there is no opportunity to witness.

What in the world is a lazy Christian, right? Well, fourth soil people know that we’re supposed to be about our Heavenly Father’s business. We know that we are supposed to be out there caring and inwardly learning, and through it all growing to become more like Christ. We mentioned days ago that much of the church probably consists of the second and third soils, but with work, they too can become a fourth soil Christian. However, what about those who go through the motions, sit in their spot, and don’t even notice the needs, or the harvest all around them, as if they are spiritually sleeping. Solomon says,” But he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Could we say that this person is a disgraceful Christian?

It is the wise Christian who is always alert for opportunity. “He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son.” Through wisdom, he knows when the time is right to gather and through wisdom, he knows what method to use. All you gardeners know that no two crops are harvested quite the same way. So it is with people. But the one who seeks God’s wisdom becomes wise in knowing what to do in different circumstances. And, as we have said many times before, that wisdom is gained through prayer.

Jesus told His disciples to, “ask the Lord of the harvest,” because He wants the crops brought in too! He will not leave you ill equipped when you are doing His work for the kingdom! When we witness, when we care, we are doing His work for the Kingdom. Isn’t that exciting? How can anyone be lazy about that?

Prayer: Lord please! Send me into the field, equipped to harvest. Open my eyes to see the work. Open doors of opportunity with people who need to be saved. Open their hearts to receive the seed of the gospel. Open my mouth to speak it! In Jesus' name, amen.

Hymn: “Bringing in the Sheaves


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

258. "Remember, Always Remember!"

Exodus 12:1-30 Key Verse: "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord a lasting ordinance." Exodus 12:14 "Celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:17) "And when your children ask you, "What does this ceremony mean to you?" then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians." (Exodus 12:27) The original act was an act of worship as the first true act of freedom for the people of Israel. They had been brought to Egypt by Joseph during a time of famine so that through Joseph God could preserve their lives. ( Genesis 37 , & 39-50 ) After Joseph died, however, instead of heading back to C...

December 6, Mary

Mary  Grace, mercy and peace, Greg & Greg

322. Book Ends

Job 19:23-27 , Psalm 16 , 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Key verses: "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth." Job 19:25 "Where O death, is your victory?  Where O death is your sting?  Thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:55-&-57 Way back at the beginning of our journey we described Job as an example of a man without the hope of Christ. O how he longed for a mediator between he and God, to plead his case and move the heart of God with compassion in his situation.  He longed to be relieved from his suffering.  We described Job as a man, like so many today, who have no hope of a savior or of a personal relationship with God.  Yet, remarkably, the Holy Spirit reached out to the heart of Job to help him know, without seeing, that there is a redeemer, the one he yearned for and that someday, even after he is dead and decayed, he would meet that One face to fa...