Photo by Pan Species on Unsplash
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
A devotion I read had this little anecdote about a church sign in “farm country.” It said, “Pray for a good harvest, but keep on hoeing.” There’s a lot of truth in those words. It shows faith that God hears prayer. But it also reflects the truth that God gives us all gifts to be used to fulfill His will in the world.
Jesus began His ministry without any disciples. However, He quickly sat them down and gave them the gift of His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Then He gave them the gift of witnessing His miracle-working power through healings and mastery over nature and evil demons (Matthew 8-9). But these gifts simply set the stage for what Jesus truly intended for His disciples. Yes, He wanted them to believe in Him and His work. Yes, He wanted them to follow His example and live according to His teachings. But, more importantly, He wanted them to use these gifts to lead other people to Himself.
Jesus selected twelve of His disciples to be Apostles, from the Greek word ἀποστέλλω (apostello) which means sent out. They were to go into the world using the gifts He’d given them to say, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 10:7)” While they were to pray that God would save the lost sheep of Israel, they weren’t to sit around letting God do all the work. They were to be the means, the workers, God used to bring His kingdom to fruition.
Two-thousand years later, we’re the disciples. God has blessed each of us with many gifts, including the gift of faith in Him. We know God hears our prayers and answers them. However, we need to also realize, that we are also often the answer to prayers … our own and others. As we pray for family, friends, and neighbors to come to Christ, remember to “keep on hoeing.” God has gifted us to faithfully work the fields, so He can bring in the rich harvest.
In Christian Love,
Pastor Jim