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Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
The harvest has a right timing
One of the key words in the above scripture is the word “harvest”. My grandfather was a farmer and had various fields including vineyards. However, he didn’t bring up the term “harvest” until we approached the time when the grapes were ready to be harvested. That was the ultimate goal, but there was much that he had to do before, the grapes were ready to be harvested.
The vines went through various stages during the year. In winter, they looked like a death bush. In spring, the leaves came out, and you saw the early signs of green grapes. In my native language we actually had a term for the newly sprouted grapes which signified that they were not ready yet. Harvest has a right timing associated with it.
In the case of grapes, the harvest is generally end of summer or early fall. My grandfather had different types of grapes, so some of his crop was ready before the others were. He was very in tune with his land, and he knew where to find the ones that were getting close to being harvested. My family would visit my grandparents from mid to late summer, so if we wanted to pick some ripe grapes, we would just ask Grandpa. Grandpa would tell us to just follow him to where the ripe ones were, and then he would lead us to the right spot. My grandfather was well acquainted with his vineyard, and he knew the timing as to when his grapes could be harvested.
“of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;” 1 Chronicles 12:32
As laborers in God’s harvest field, we can also develop a greater measure of sensitivity to where people are at spiritually. If we are going to be successful people in evangelism, we have to learn to know the sign of times and understand when the harvest is ready and plentiful. Just because I decided to show up during summer at my grandfather’s vineyard, it didn’t mean that I knew where the ripe grapes were. Grandpa had been spending the entire year in his field, and he knew how the harvest was coming along.
In Conclusion
Jesus healed the sick, had compassion, and noticed those who were scattered. He is our example. God is looking for those are willing to tend to the needs of the unsaved and broken until such a time that individuals are ready to accept the Lord as their savior.
Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few…”. That statement always bothered me. I wonder if he meant, there are very few people who are willing to do the hard labor in the winter and spring season before they can enjoy reaping a fruitful harvest. Where are the laborers who don’t make their evangelism a hobby or a task but are willing to have Jesus’ attitude in the harvest field!?
The laborers that God is looking for will be laboring like Jesus. First and foremost, they are present in the harvest field. Secondly, they tend to the physical needs of the people around them. Third, they are compassionate. Fourth, they know the condition of man and his situation, and finally they are in tune with the timing of the harvest. The Lord of the harvest is looking for skilled, full-time laborers who are willing to do the hard work until such a time that the harvest is here.
The Lord of the Harvest is looking for His laborers, and Jesus is our great example for the kind of laborers God is looking for.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus had compassion
The scripture tells us the Jesus had compassion on the multitudes because they were weary and scattered. Jesus’ heart was moved towards the people. His desire to serve them and heal them was coming from the burden He had for the people. This wasn’t a duty or obligation. He wasn’t doing it because it was one of the tasks of the ministry. He was doing it because compassion and love moved Him.
Where were the shepherds who really cared about the people? Were they just concerned about punching their time card and making an appearance at the temple? Were they expecting people to show up at the temple and ask for help or a handout?
Did the shepherds judge the sick making them worse than before they showed up to seek help? Were people so burdened from hardness of life and the religious regulations that they had become weary in their soul? Jesus was aware and in tune to all of the above and His heart was going out to the people.
Jesus saw the scattered
Why were people scattered? Was there no safe place for them to go? Did people begin to lose love for each other? Did they begin to judge each other as their religious leaders had judged them? Did they run away, so they won’t be abused by the very ones who were supposed to care for them?
Jesus’ compassion was one of the keys factors in reaching these people well. He didn’t show up with an attitude of superiority, but with a heart of humility desiring to help those who were seeking help. While they didn’t speak much, their faces told a thousand words. He knew their burden and was well acquainted with their condition.
When we develop a heart like Jesus, it changes us! It allows us to see people like we have never seen them before. We don’t look at our ministry or service as doing them a favor. The compassion that the Lord has placed in our hearts moves us to do it purely out of love for God and for them. The people also realize the genuine heart of love towards them and are more willing to be open and vulnerable with us.
Let’s pray today for a shepherd’s heart towards people.
The Lord of the Harvest is looking for His laborers. On this Labor Day, we can ponder on the special laborers God is looking for!
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38
This past Saturday, we prayed and declared the above scripture at my church during our intercessory prayer time. I felt like the Lord had more to say about this scripture, so I listened! As He spoke to me, I decided to write the Monday’s devotional about it. Then yesterday, we happened to sing the song, “You are the Lord of the harvest”. I knew it was a confirmation of my devotional as I already had picked that title for my devotional.
Jesus sets the example for the type of laborers God is looking for:
Jesus cared about people’s physical needs
Jesus ministered to the people on the highways and the byways of life. There was no discrimination/partiality as to which people group he reached or ministered to. Jesus understood man’s condition and his/her need for spiritual healing as well as physical healing. He didn’t get super spiritual with them; He didn’t make them feel bad about looking for physical healing. He didn’t expect them to just focus on their relationship with God. When the sick came to him, He healed them. The above scripture tells us that He actually healed every sickness and every disease among the people.
Jesus must have had enormous amount of work to do in healing every sick person. The scripture doesn’t state that the disciples helped Him out. Most likely He did most of the work by himself. Healing the sick would have been a huge need given the fact that the physicians in that time would not have had the knowledge or the resources to cure most ailments.
Jesus must have spent hours ministering to the physical needs. Healing the sick didn’t make him weary. Jesus never turned anyone away. This wasn’t a job for him, it was a burden because of his great love for the people.
Being a laborer is hard work which means when the excitement of the job is gone, the laborer still have more work to do. We as laborers still do the work with the same intensity and desire as we first started. No one gets short-changed because they are at the end of the line or because we as laborers are tired. God’s field is not about our excitement level, but it is about the level of need and desperation in people’s lives. When we love and love people, we continue to labor in His field.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
Faith is taking God seriously. When we doubt Him, we basically doubt His word and His integrity. We end up taking the matters in our own hands and taking God lightly. The scripture tells us that the only way to please God is to believe Him.
The greater our need for control, the easier our faith can be shaken. Control shows itself in variety of ways. We have a need to understand what God is doing. It makes us nervous and insecure when we don’t know what He is doing. Adverse circumstances can also make us anxious. They cause us to need assurance that God hasn’t forgotten about us. Sometimes our theology is challenged. If others are doing things that we don’t understand or don’t line up with our theology, it makes us question what we believe or what they believe.
The longer I walk with the Lord, I am less confident of understanding my God and the world. In the past, I put a great deal of weight in my understanding. It was my security blanket that kept me warm and comforted. If I knew what God was doing, then I felt close to God and thought of myself as one of his confidants. Those of us who are prophetic, we are even more prone to desiring to understand what God is doing. I am learning to focus more on His character.
In the last couple of years, God has allowed me not to understand a lot of things. I have seen hurtful things, observed losses in others’ lives, and cried about various challenges and injustices. I don’t have a lot of answers for other people. I don’t encourage them with the certainty that I used to. I am more comfortable with not knowing, and I don’t try to fix it for others.
Walking with God is not an equation to be solved. God gives us the Holy Spirit to be our helper. He also has truth and principles that we can put to work in our lives in order to do well in life. However, we can’t use His word as an equation. A+B does not always equal C. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it equals D or E. Sometimes the equation is not solved for months or years. This is when our faith is truly tested. Are we putting faith in God’s principles or do we put faith in God?
The enemy tries to intervene in this process and whisper to us, “Why bother believing!?” Many Christians lose hope in this part of the process because they don’t understand. They get discouraged or confused, and they become unsure of what they believe. We need to fight this spiritually. If our faith is only strong to the degree that we understand what God is doing, then we are on a shaky ground. We don’t want our faith to easily crumble under pressure. Lord help us!
Lord, we pray today that you would give us the grace to purely believe you. We desire To trust your integrity, love, and goodness whether we understand all things or not. Amen!
Do you ever wonder if God’s spoken Word to you will come pass? Do you doubt that the Word you instilled in your children will produce fruit?
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11
This scripture is a wonderful reassurance that God’s word has a long standing purpose for our lives. His purpose is not to just make us feel better momentarily. God has a higher, wider, and far-reaching intention to use His word and establish it by working through time and various seasons in our lives.
In the above scripture, God’s word is likened to a seed sown in the ground. A seed can remain hidden under soil for a long time before something springs up. When vegetation springs up, it doesn’t mean it’s ready to be utilized and harvested yet. It takes months and sometimes years, before the seed sown grows into ripe fruit.
The seed that was sown months and years ago has morphed a few times and has become a plant with roots going deep into the ground. If you were to look under the soil, you will not find the seed anymore. The life and the potential of that original seed has been burst and been transformed into a fruit-bearing tree.
The Lord reminds us that just as a farmer has full confidence in the potential of his good seeds, we need also to be assured that the seeds of His word which have been planted in our lives will produce a harvest. God guarantees that His seed will not return void to Him. His word is effective, powerful, and potent and will produce a good harvest!
The beauty of a seed is that not only it will produce a harvest for food and nourishment, but it will also produce more seeds. This allows the farmer to continue the cycle of sowing and reaping. Similarly, God’s word nourishes our soul for our personal benefit and gives us revelation and understanding to share them with others. We can impact the generations to come with the seeds that were sown in our lives. Praise God!
If you have been discouraged today because you haven’t reaped what you have sown, God is reassuring us in two ways. First and foremost, the words that God has sown in us through the Bible, prophesies, and other people will not return void to Him. The Lord will bring them to pass as we partner with Him in nurturing the seeds of life. Secondly, the seeds of Life that we have sown in the lives of our children, family members, friends, & neighbors will produce fruit in due time as well. Our part is to continue to nurture the relationships and be patient with God’s process in them. Allow God to do what He can only do to bring forth life out of those seeds and grow them into maturity.
The one who designed the law of sowing and reaping, allows His Word to operate the same way in the lives of His people.
God uses the very nature that He created long ago to give us a visual aid as to how He operates in our lives.
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11
Rain and snow are a great necessity for creation. The ground can turn parched because of lack of rain and snow, which in turn leads to drought. Drought can cause famine over long periods of time, which can greatly impact the animal world as well our lives.
In California, we’ve had a drought for the last few years, and it is primarily due to insufficient rain and snow in the mountains. Lack of Rain and snow have impacted everything including the brightness of the colors around us. We need to take shorter showers and not wash our cars too often. Our yards are turning brown because we are not allowed to water the yards too often.
It is interesting how much we talk about the drought and focus on its impact in our State, but very few people are discussing the drought that people are experiencing spiritually. Our hectic lives, technology, and organized programs have certainly kept us busy, but we lack the Word of God to be the rain and the snow that waters our parched souls to bring forth life out of lifeless activities! Many of us as believers fall in that category as well!
As my life has gotten busy in the last month (due to working full time), I find it difficult to read my Bible regularly or for the duration I used to. I need to find other ways to include the Word of God in my day, or it is not going to just happen. At first, I won’t notice the difference much. However, if I let it go on, overtime I’ll grow dull spiritually. Various situations may cause me to respond in doubt rather than faith, I may slip back to the old Karline, and lose ground where I had victory before. It will all happen so gradually that I will not notice it for a long time. Someday I will find my parched soul has turned brown spiritually because I haven’t allowed the word of God to rain on my soul.
Let’s take time to get in the Word and let Him wash us and refresh us!
What were the characteristics that made Daniel a man with an excellent spirit?
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel 1:3-6
Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians as a teenager to serve the king. He wasn’t brought to be just slave in a foreign land; he was chosen to serve the king in the palace.
The king was looking for a few qualities that were present in Daniel. Physically, he was good looking and without blemish. He was also gifted in wisdom. He had shown the ability to be prudent, to relate to people well, and to make sound decisions that allowed him to stand above all others. He possessed knowledge which meant he had done the work of becoming educated and learned young man. He was also able to be quick to understand.
Those characteristics show someone who had a vision for his life. Daniel wasn’t preparing for any long term goals neither did he know that he was going to be taken to the king’s palace. As a matter of fact, considering the condition of Israelites and their captivity, he could have easily found excuses not to become educated. He could have determined in his heart that there was no point to gaining skills or knowledge if he was going to spend the rest of his life as a Babylonian slave.
Some of the common questions from my children and my students are, “Why do I need to learn this material? Where will I use it?”. Our children have a mindset that they don’t need to learn something until there is a need to learn to it.
If Daniel had that attitude, he would not have been ready for what came his way. He had no prior knowledge that he was going to be taken to the king’s palace. He wasn’t doing it because he had career goals and ambitions. Daniel was only doing it because he had a noble character, and he was willing to do his best regardless of the circumstances. This caused him to have such a good reputation that the king heard about him.
When we give our best whether it matters or not, we have stepped into a new dimension. We have started walking down the path of excellence!
I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Daniel 5:4
Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. Daniel 6:3
The Bible tells us that Daniel had a reputation for having an excellent spirit. Before he stepped into the palace, Daniel was excellent. Having an excellent spirit is very different than being perfectionist or performing to get a reward.
In our culture, we very much operate on reward system. We reward our children for doing something right, and we sometimes bribe them to get their cooperation. We look for rewards in schools as well. We want our children to be highlighted at school and be rewarded for their achievements at school or sports by trophies and accolades. The children are excited about being highlighted, and we are proud of their rewards and accomplishments.
We look for rewards and benefits at our jobs for doing a good job, and we also expect it in the church for following and serving Christ. People work hard, so they can be rewarded a promotion at work or gain a ministry position at church.
Rewards in and of themselves are not a problem. Many times new believers and especially young people need encouragement to keep going and doing the right thing for a while. However, at some point the reward system in the form of prize or being highlighted must diminish if we want to develop the character of the individual. We need to allow the person grow above and beyond being rewarded for the right actions and the right behavior.
The problem with a continual reward system is that the person’s character doesn’t fully mature because their goal is to be rewarded before they choose to do the right thing. Their focus is: ”What’s in it for me?, What will I get out of it?, How will this help me to be seen or to get ahead?”
If we are going to develop as people of character, rewards cannot be the motivating factor to stretch us into excellence! There needs to be a deeper conviction about who we are and whose we are that causes us to live differently and operate at a higher standard and code of conduct.
Daniel was one of these individuals, and I will share about his character qualities that made him excellent!
This is the continuation from the last devotional in building healthy boundaries.
3. Seek the will of God in all things
In establishing healthy boundaries, seeking the will of God is very important. When we know His will, we will feel more confident in our decision in setting proper boundaries. Seeking the will of God shall prevent us from wondering if we just missed a great opportunity by declining to acquiesce to someone’s demands. It will comfort us in knowing we were not mean by saying “No” to someone. It will also help us not to be disappointed with those who didn’t follow our advise or instructions. Sometimes people are in a process with God, and His work is not finished with them.
His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. John 7:3-9
Jesus is a great example of setting boundaries. He was asked and expected to do miracles and show up to different places. However, He did not allow others to pressure Him to do something out of the will of the Father. According to above scripture, Jesus knew that God planned to keep His identity hidden. Jesus couldn’t do what others were doing, and He was ok with it. Understanding the will of the Father, will help us not to be compelled to say, “Yes” to something because others are doing it.
In His interactions with His followers, many times Jesus prefaced His teachings with the word “If” . Jesus gave people a choice that “if” they desired wholeness, then God had certain instructions to help them get there. If Jesus gave a choice to people, how much more do we need to give room for people to make their own decision without the fear of reprisal!?
4. Communicate honestly and invite feedback
Sometimes people are not aware how they come across when they overstep others’ boundaries. It is important to have honest communication with individuals who have a history of boundary-less behavior and explain that their approach is pushy and domineering. Conversely, we may not see how our intensity or tone of voice can make people feel. We should invite feedback from others to ensure our method of communication gives room for others to be real with us.
Developing healthy boundaries is not easy, but it is a necessity to live a God honoring life. If people can love us only when we surrender ourselves to their wishes, then they really don’t respect and honor us. As our boundaries become healthy, the real person will begin to emerge!
Healthy relationships require healthy boundaries! While developing boundaries in a boundary-less relationship will cause some pain and discomfort, it is necessary for all parties involved.
1. Determine your sphere of responsibility
We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. 2 Corinthians 10:13
Sphere (according to Strong’s Dictionary): a definitely bounded or fixed space within the limits of which one’s power of influence is confined, one’s sphere of activity.
Developing healthy boundaries begin with understanding our sphere of responsibility and what God is going to hold us accountable to. Some of the examples of our responsibilities are: our body, our spiritual growth, our finances, our marriage, and our children under 18 years of age.
Some examples of areas which are not are responsibility are as follows: our adult children living on their own, others’ marriages and families, friends’ struggles, the quality of others’ spirituality, service, or work.
Some of the responsibilities are shared ones in which two or more people have to be willing to do the work such as marriage or friendship. In those cases, God will hold us accountable to our part. If our focus is the results, it will cause stress and the need to control. The joint responsibilities require much prayer.
2. Set boundaries for yourself
Sometimes when the issue of boundaries is discussed, we can quickly think about our spouse, boss, or friends and how we wished they had healthier boundaries. The truth is that we cannot change people, but we can change our interactions with people! The transformation will come when we are willing to do the hard work of setting boundaries for ourselves.
In order to set boundaries for ourselves, we need to think about being on the giving and the receiving end in a relationship. On the receiving end, we don’t allow others to overstep our space spiritually, emotionally, or physically. This can cause great deal of turmoil and fear in our hearts. However, if we are going to be healthy in relationships, we need to learn to say “no” and be ready for the other person to cut off the relationship or privileges. How valuable is the “true you” to you?
On the giving end, we show self-control by honoring other people’s space and try not to be overpowering or overbearing. This also includes not manipulating others by our assistance or the gifts we give them. This is hard for controlling people. They may feel weak or powerless. It can also frustrate those who are results oriented. The truth is that we should not have power to exert control over someone else’s life and decisions anyway.
In our adult interactions, we influence people by how we live our lives rather than telling others how they should live! Overtime, if someone respects us, they may ask for our input. Once we have given our input then we’re done. We need to surrender the person or the situation to the Lord. Trusting God is the key in this process! The Lord is working on them, and He will do a better job in handling their lives than we ever could.
I will continue on the subject of developing healthy boundaries in the next devotional.
