Aren’t you glad if you plant tomatoes you don’t get habanero peppers instead?
That’s because the law of the harvest never fails:
You always reap what you sow.
That can be a good thing and a not so good thing, depending on the seeds you’ve sown.
Right now it’s a good thing—and in a very real way. It’s the end of the harvest. Nearly all the tomatoes are gone from the garden, and the number of peaches at our roadside stand grows fewer and fewer each day. It’s my last chance to put summer in jars.
As I peel, pit, cut, and preserve, I’m thankful I didn’t quit gardening in the heat of July when I was weary of weeding and watering. Now I will be rewarded with summer tomatoes in February’s chili.
The same law applies in my spiritual life. In due season the good seed of God’s Word and prayers I have sown in the lives of others will reap a bountiful harvest and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
But sometimes the season between sowing and reaping can seem so long and be so hard. As we pray through the season of heated rebellion in the lives of our loved ones we can grow weary and be tempted to give up.
If that is how you’re feeling today—take heart and don’t quit. You’re not alone. God hears your prayers, counts your tears, and though you may not be able to see it right now, He is on the move.
Buy a jar of garden fresh tomatoes. Put it in the pantry as a secret reminder not to quit and keep on believing that a harvest of good is coming.
So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. Galatians 6:9-10 (The Message)