An Easy Harvest

It's not unusual, when harvest rolls around, to see a church sign that says, "Pray for farmers," or to hear people praying for the harvest ... around tables at a church prayer meeting, a husband and wife at the breakfast table, or farmers' wives agreeing together in prayer.

"Help harvest to go smoothly."

One day Jim came home discouraged.  The beans in that particular field were just plain hard to combine.  Was it the variety? Was it from the effects of the weather?  Were they too mature?  It was difficult on the machinery, and involved making a trip to a distant equipment dealer for parts to repair the combine.  Harvesting that field took more mental energy than usual.

But when the field was completely harvested, when all was safely gathered in, the yield per acre for that field was a 50-year record.

Hmmm.  We were praying for a smooth harvest and for no breakdowns.  From the farmer's perspective, that field was difficult and not as enjoyable to harvest as other fields.  From the farmer's wife's perspective, it was hard to watch a discouraged husband.  But ~ the field that was difficult to harvest is the one that yielded the most fruit.

How do I pray about my day? For an easy day? For a smooth day? For everything to go well?  Or for a day that yields a harvest of righteousness and peace?

Whether you are like the farmer and are struggling to make it through this particular trial in your life ~ or are like his wife, standing by unable to take away the trials in a loved one's life ~ perhaps we need to focus more on the end result, asking the Lord to do whatever it takes to produce a harvest of godliness in our lives. 

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.