Heading Home

Maple trees stand ready to burst forth with golden-bronze highlights.
Beechnuts tickle the leaves as they fall to the ground.
Red tinges the leaves of the burning bushes.
Pumpkin patches set ablaze with orange, plump fruit.
Cornfields ripe for gathering.

My favorite time of year. Fall. It always brings to mind the seasonal word harvest.

Nature goes through its seasons, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (NKJV)

Just as nature, we, as Christians, have circumstances that bring rain, sunshine, heat, cold, storm, calm, dryness, fire, and flood. Our aim is to always work toward having a spiritual harvest, no matter what the circumstantial season.

But how do we produce the luscious harvest God desires for our lives?

God once whispered to my heart…

“If the ground is not turned, I cannot plant My seeds. A life as a lovely green meadow with its abundance of wild flowers is a fair picture of beauty. But there’s more to be had from the rich soil lying beneath the surface blanket of a lovely green pasture. Cultivating this meadow can produce a harvest of fruit, of nourishment, of good things for others.

“The Hand of the One tilling the soil is the One Who loves it the most and sees the greatest potential in it for a harvest. The roots of unwanted growth beneath the surface must be ripped out that the ground might be tilled and furrowed. This gives room to accept the seeds of new growth and eventually welcome a beautiful, golden field of harvest, waving its ripened grain in the breeze.

“A life in the Hands of the One guiding the plow will display a fruitful meadow. When it is uprooted and turned over, it welcomes the plantings of the Master Husbandman and gladdens the hearts of others with its lovely field of harvest.”

What is damaging the harvest in your life? Hmmm. Do you have any roots of unwanted growth? I know I do.

Any roots of bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, jealousy, judging, gossip, complaining, doubt, worry, or hypocrisy, among other things, will destroy the possibility of an abundant, spiritual growth and harvest. The roots of unwanted growth must be ripped out in order to have good soil.

Jesus explained the good soil in the Parable of the Sower, “But the good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message and produce a plentiful harvest for God - thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as was planted in their hearts.” (Mark 4:20 TLB)


What are you harvesting? Is the soil of your heart producing what it should? Or maybe you have a mixed crop, having planted negative seeds in with the positive seeds?

God told Israel, “Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled.” (Deut. 22:9 NIV)

Reproducing the character of God in our lives requires the planting of His Seed-Word in our hearts, not the seeds the world spits at us. There can only be one Seed in our hearts!

Don’t like the crop you’re growing? Maybe its time to check those seed bags! Paul tells us, “Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!” (Gal. 6:7-8a MSG)

If we want our lives to have an abundant harvest spilling over with ripe fruit, we need to rip out the old roots, weed, and plant God’s seeds. Then, we will see a bumper crop at harvest time, for “the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” (Gal. 6:8b MSG)

“A life in the Hands of the One guiding the plow will display a fruitful meadow.” May your life be cultivated by the Husbandman that it may “produce a harvest of fruit, of nourishment, of good things for others.” And may your harvest be plentiful!



Today's post is part of the ChristianWriters.com blog chain on the topic of harvest. For other great posts, check out the list in the right sidebar.

Please join me over at LivingBetterat50+ for my new place of monthly devotionals.

“Is there wrong on my tongue? Cannot
my taste discern what is destructive?”(Job 6:30 Amp)
Wouldn’t it be nice if all the bad and negative words we say instantly left a terrible taste on your tongues? Maybe then, the next time, we wouldn’t speak them.

Do we ever stop to think about what we say?

Apparently not, for what do we do? We praise God, then turn around and spew out negative phrases.

James said, “Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My brothers, this should not happen!” (James 3:10 GNB) “Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?…No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool.” (James 3:11,12b NLT)

Or we speak blistering words about someone or to someone.

David said, “You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.” (Ps. 50:20 NKJV) Another version says, “You stab your own brother in the back.” (Ps. 50:20 Msg) Why do we do this?

Some say, “I don’t see that my words matter that much.” Well, our words do matter. James also said, “A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything - or destroy it!” (James 3:5 Msg) “What enormous damage it can do.” (James 3:5b TLB)

The words we speak can set our lives, or others, on fire for harm or for good. Our words can bring others to tears or lift their spirits.

Think of the millions of children and spouses who receive tongue-lashings by those who little realize the wounds they inflict with their razor-sharp words. Being verbally abused, they are told, “You’re stupid!” Or “Can’t you ever do anything right?” Or “Why can’t you be like your brother (or sister)?” Or “You’ll never amount to anything.” Or “I never wanted you in the first place.” Or “You’re no good.”

Words leave scars, scars that have never felt the wound of a weapon, to paraphrase Romeo. How many hearts have been injured by insensitive or ill-chosen words, wrecking havoc in their lives and shattering their self-confidence and self-worth?

If these negative words become etched upon the surface of another’s soul, they will play back throughout the rest of that one’s life unless he or she is taught how to deal with them.

Jesus warned, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.” (Matt. 7:102 Msg)

All those words we carelessly let loose are like homing pigeons, coming home to roost on us as they wound others on their flight and ultimately wound the Lord.

The Lord once said to me, “Do not wound My Heart by saying unkind things about those I love, things you could not say to their faces.” We grieve the Lord by what we say, and think, about the ones He loves. Our love for Christ must prevent us from hurting Him with our criticism and judgment of others, whether vocalized or silent.

God is very particular about how we treat His sons and daughters. Would you get upset if someone verbally mistreated your child?

Jesus told the Pharisees, “On the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak…Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36 Amp, Matt. 12:37 TLB)

If we are required to answer for our speech, then we need to be cautious of what fills our hearts and overflows out of our mouths, for, as Jesus said, “Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45b TLB)

If our tongues speak from the abundance of our hearts, and if Jesus and scripture say our words are critical, then our words truly have extraordinary power and effect. They embody life and death, just as Solomon said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Prov. 18:21a NKJV)

Especially in today’s climate, as home foreclosures abound, jobs dwindle and are lost, bank accounts become emptied, and sickness spreads, words of encouragement, comfort, and blessing are vital to each person’s mental well being.

Do you care how your words affect others? Do you “kill” others with your toxic tongue or do you speak hope and support into them with words of life? Do you speak harshly to your children or your spouse? How would you talk if Jesus were standing next to you or your pastor came to visit?

Solomon wrote, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit - you choose.” (Prov. 18:21 Msg)

Knowing the consequences of his thoughts and words, David was wise to pray, “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.” (Ps. 141:3 NLT)

Do you have a guard set to catch any nasty tasting words from slipping off the end of your tongue?