He said to His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the LORD who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.”
Matthew 9:37-38 NLT
For southern Arizona, the monsoon season starts the first of July and usually runs through August, into September. A couple of years ago, in the middle of the monsoon season, the weather forecasters told us it had been the wettest July in 20 years.
I’m not complaining, we can always use the rain, but it’s humid and it’s hot. I moved from Colorado a while back and the temperatures are not all that different from Denver, but the humidity is. I’ve acclimated to the temperatures, but not the humidity. It only lasts a few months, so I’m okay, sort of.
Needless to say, the monsoon time of the year here is not the most convenient time of year to garden. Yet, the garden needs tending.
One morning I got up early to do some gardening before it got hot, yet at 7:00a.m. it was already 90 degrees. I had been putting my gardening duties off because of the humidity and I did not want to get sweaty and dirty.
In the northern states January may not be the best time to garden either. It is cold and snowy, but the garden still needs to be tended. A tree limb might need to be cut down before it falls on the house. The side walk needs to be shoveled and salted so no one will fall. We could be tempted to put it off because we don’t want to be freezing, uncomfortable or inconvenienced.
On that hot morning I gardened for only 40 minutes. When I came in I looked like I had just been swimming, hair was drenched, clothes soggy, I was a mess. Yet, while I was out there, Jesus had some really special words for me.
He reminded me that there is not always a convenient time of the year to do His Kingdom work. His Kingdom work needs to be done year round, in the heat or the cold. It’s not always clean and nice, sometimes it’s messy and dirty work.
We need to be ready to dig through the dirt and weeds to get to the good soil, so His Word can be planted. We need to be ready to shovel and scrape frozen hearts, so He can warm them with love.
Kingdom work is dirty and messy and hard. Jesus never said it would be easy. He did say He would never leave us or forsake us as we work with Him. He did say He will guide us and direct us through the harvest. He does give us the opportunity to shine in His glory while we work.
So how about it. Are you ready to get outside your comfort zone and sweat, or freeze for His Kingdom, for your friends, for your loved ones?
What is one area in your life that Jesus may be asking you to tell someone about Him? Is there just one person you could show His love to today? Maybe the cashier at the grocery store, your next door neighbor, your family?
Let’s do it!
Jesus,
How wonderful you are to always be with me as I work with You. If I listen, I will hear you say, ‘it’s time to work’. If I keep my eyes opened, I will be able to see what You see. If I stay close to You, You will give me Your strength and courage to do the job. I love You so much Jesus. You are my very life and joy!
Amen
With The Savior 