The Harvest

Can you find the queen? She can lay 3000 eggs/day.

A few weeks ago, we spent quite a few hours harvesting honey. Bees are magnificent creatures. They are of course known for making honey, but their bodies can make so many things they need in the hive. The more you learn about them, the more the thought of evolution seems ridiculous. In fact, there’s a lot about this popular insect we still don’t even know.

To most people, whether they know it or not, harvest is the most exciting part of beekeeping. It’s at harvest that one species of bees, out of the 20,000 that exist, creates a sweet sticky substance that has been harvested for thousands of years. This year, we harvested over 150 lbs of honey. That honey did not just magically appear in 5 gallon buckets as sweet, golden elixir. Had we not physically gone out to harvest it, the honey would still be in the hive. Only the bees would enjoy its benefits. You may know where I am going with this. God promises that the harvest is ready, that it’s full and that there’s plenty to go around to all who labor.

Matthew 9:37-38 (NASB) says, “Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

There’s an interesting word--Beseech! It’s a word we don’t really use anymore, nor do we follow. It means to “Ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something; implore; entreat.” Do we do this? Does anyone do this? As I’m typing this, I’m thinking about when was the last time I prayed URGENTLY and fervently that the Lord would send out workers into His harvest?

The other intriguing idea in this scripture is that the harvest isn't the problem. Everywhere we go, there are people hungry for the good news of Jesus. There are people in Walmart, your grocery store and anywhere else you go that would love to experience God's life-giving power. However, the shortage of workers is continually an issue. There are always more workers needed. God loves to partner with us to bring in the harvest. By urgent prayer and workers/laborers who put God's kingdom before all things, the ripe harvest will be brought in.

In the United States, I believe there has never been such a great potential for harvest. People are lonely, hurting and broken. God's love can fill the largest void in people's hearts, but more workers are always needed. 

As fall approaches, the sun sets a little earlier every day. The honey is harvested and cooler weather is the norm. Will you pray with us that God brings in more workers into His harvest. Let us see the greatest harvest the U.S. has ever seen.

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Golden honey from our harvest a few weeks ago.