Harvest Time

I have been talking about the the fruits of the spirit so now I want to talk about what we do with our fruit. This time of year for most country folks is a busy time. It is harvest time, which means canning, freezing and preserving fruit and vegetables. It is a time when we keep some of the harvest, throw away that which is too ripe and give away the excess. A time when we get to reap that which we have sown.
We start by gathering the fruit and sorting it out. Take for instance, our apple trees. We have had an abundance of apples this year. My mom and dad have been preserving them in a variety of ways. They have been drying them , freezing them and canning them. We must find ways to preserve our fruits of the spirit in a likewise manner. We need to store them in our hearts, minds and spirit so they will be readily available when needed. Thaw out our patience so when that car cuts us off we can pray for them instead of get angry. Open up a can of joy in the middle of our trial instead of sinking into despair. That way we can enjoy our fruits long after the harvest is over.
After we gather the good fruit to preserve then we must deal with the rotten fruit. The fruit that has gotten too ripe. The seed that God has planted that has ripened but was never picked. The seed to tell someone about Jesus and we just let it sit on the tree until the harvest has passed and it begins to rot. We have many reasons why we have left it on the tree. We just couldn’t find the time to share. We are afraid it won‘t be well received. God has promised his word will not return void.  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) We are to give them the fruit. It is then up to them to do with it what they will . If we don’t share our fruit it will dry up and rot. The one rotten apple will start to spoil the whole bushel!
Lastly we give away our excess fruit. We all love to receive the excess of the harvest that our friends and family have. They made a choice to share their harvest with you. We must choose to share our fruit with others. Love those that persecute and use us. Show kindness and mercy to those that take offence to our message of hope. Give your time to help those in need and the joy you receive will be worth the time you have spent laboring in the field. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest Luke 10:1-2 (KJV)