Asleep in Harvest

It’s a little past 3:30 AM, and I’m wide awake. Souls are on my mind! In morning prayer yesterday, I read these words, and can’t shake them, “He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame” (Proverbs 10:5). The principle here is: we shouldn’t sleep when there is so much work to be done.

God has a vast global harvest prepared for us, and we must awaken to it.  ^“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35).

Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest and expects all those that call Him. Lord, are invited to be involved:  “Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).

I flipped in my Bible to these sad words, “The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20). Therefore, “I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

Summer is quickly ending. Soon, the harvest will be passed. So, we must be awake to the cries and needs of unharvested people and do something about them. Let me unpack that for you in a few sentences outlining just a few opportunities:

• 8 billion people reside on the planet; over half have not heard the Gospel or the name of Jesus for that matter.
• There are thirty access-challenged nations. These are considered closed doors. We must find a way to run into them.
• There are over 7,400 unreached people groups. Add to that, another 1,100 minimally reached people clusters. Some of these groups are as large as entire nations.
• There is the 4/14 window made up of children needing to hear God’s Word. These include 1.9 billion making it the largest of the people groups. Some continents are made up of fifty percent of children. I noticed on the https://414movement.com/ site these fitting words, “awakening a generation to a life with Jesus. If a child can come into an authentic relationship with Jesus, not only will their life be changed, but they can transform their community and even the world around them.”

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

We cannot reach the world alone. It takes all apostolic generations working together focused on the mission by giving, going, praying, or any combination of the three. Daniel Deck, in his message “Generation to Generation,” explains that the success of the harvest is vital to survival. When it is time to plant or harvest, everyone is involved. Sometimes school is even dismissed, and the field becomes the focus of everyone. It is not uncommon to see three generations working in the field together side-by-side because success, survival, and the season demand it. We must learn to run and work together.

I remember, years ago, being in a conference in South Africa. In the closing service, a prophecy went forth. It merely said, “Meet you in the field!”

~James Poitras, Director of Short-Term Missions
September 11, 2020