Harvest Time

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9

It's harvest time across the country! Last week, Danette and I visited the last five states on our journey to visit all 50-Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. All of these states are on the prairie in the Great Plains Region. We drove through thousands and thousands of acres of farmland! The majority of row crops were corn, but there were also soybeans, sorghum, and sunflowers! The farmers were busy harvesting! We saw lots of combines and semi trucks in the fields. I grew up on a farm, and this time of year was always busy for my dad and my uncle as they harvested corn and soybeans. Harvest time is key to a farmer. It is the culmination of lots of hard work and is their livelihood. While farmers cannot control factors such as grain prices and the weather, they can control when and how much they plant, how they care for the crop, and how they get the crop out of the field. The word, harvest, is closely related to the Latin word for "pluck.” It literally means the act of reaping food from the land. In the Bible, there are three approaches to harvest. 

The first is a literal harvest. Genesis 8:22 says, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” It was here that God set in motion the idea of sowing and reaping, not just in farming, but in life. An example of literal harvest in the Bible is when God used Joseph to save his family from starvation due to famine. Remember, Joseph was the one with the special coat, and his brothers, jealous, sold him.  He was ultimately placed in a position of authority in Egypt, tasked with storing grain during the prosperous years. He became the sole distributor of food in Egypt during the famine. When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy food, they did not recognize him, but he recognized them and invited them to move to Egypt to live in the land of Goshen, where he could provide for them. The harvest is a sign of God's provision and blessing for humanity.

Harvesting is also a spiritual metaphor in Scripture. It represents God’s timing, the fruit of obedience, and the importance of faithful labor. Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”  Just like a farmer plants seeds and waits for them to grow, God calls us to sow seeds in our lives—through acts of love, prayer, generosity, obedience, and truth. What you put into the world will eventually come back to you. Sow kindness, and you’ll reap love. Sow truth, and you’ll reap freedom. Sow in prayer, and you’ll reap peace. Sometimes the harvest is immediate, and other times, it comes "at the proper time." The process requires patience, faith, and endurance.

The third is not a harvest of grain but rather a harvest of people ready for the Good News.  In Luke 10:2, Jesus tells His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” The spiritual harvest of souls is always ready, and we are called to be workers in it. This wasn’t a statement of frustration, but of urgency. The world is full of burdened and broken people looking for answers. They need the truth, healing, and love of Jesus. Many are more open to hope than we realize. 

We planted a large garden every season, and I worked in it all summer. We began by planting potatoes in late March to early April, and then planted everything from tomatoes to green beans to peas to watermelons and pumpkins, corn, and squash. Harvesting what had grown was always so satisfying. We had great food, and my mother canned lots of vegetables. The harvest was not possible except for the labor that went into it. As believers, we are called to be faithful laborers in God’s field, sowing seeds of love, kindness, and truth. And, we must show the lost world the fruits of a loving Savior. 

Call to Action

What seeds are you sowing in your life right now—into relationships, ministry, your walk with God?

Are you growing weary from waiting on your harvest?

What might it look like to trust God with the timing?

Where has God placed you that might be a “harvest field”? (Your workplace, school, neighborhood, friend group?)

Are you willing to be a worker, not just in word, but in action?

Digging Deeper

Read these additional verses:  Leviticus 23:22, Proverbs 10:5, Matthew 9:37–38, John 4:35–36, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Hebrews 12:11, Revelation 14:15

Prayer

Lord, help me to be faithful in sowing what You’ve given me. Open my eyes to the people around me who are hurting and in need of You. Give me compassion like Jesus had. When I grow weary or discouraged, remind me that You are working behind the scenes. Teach me to wait well and to trust Your perfect timing. Strengthen my hands, steady my heart, and use me for Your glory. Amen.

Copyright © 2025 Kyle Cravens