Now is the time to reap. Don’t have a slack hand!

[Leonardo Von]

Now is the time to reap. Don’t have a slack hand!

•    “He who gathers in summer is a wise son; but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.” (Pro 10:5).

In that time, the reap was done in the summer:

•    “and the glorious beauty, on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the first-ripe fruit before the summer; which the beholder of it swallows up while it is yet in his hand.” (Isa_28:4).
•    “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jer_8:20).

If Summer and harvest were neglected, in vain a man will expect the fruits in the Autumn:

•    “Woe is me! For I am like the gatherings of summer fruits, like the grape-gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat; my soul desires the first-ripe fruit.” (Mic_7:1).

The fool will go through the same thing that Micah undergone. There are more wisdom in an ant than in a son who doesn’t find pleasure in reap the fruits that his father sowed:

•    “Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who, having no guide, overseer, or ruler,provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.” (Pro 6:6-8);
•    “the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer;” (Pro_30:25)

And the explanation can be seen below: 

•    “Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. Do you not say, It is yet four months, and the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white to harvest already. And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit to life eternal, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. And in this is the saying true, One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that on which you bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (Joh 4:34-38).

The son is called on to enter upon the labors of the employees, and reap where they have sown. Don’t reap means to deport worse than servants. After all, the good servant find delight in hearing the voice of his master (see John 2:29) and see him elated (see Luke 15:7,10).

Besides, there are a parable relating this with the coming of Jesus:

•    “And He spoke a parable to them: Behold the fig-tree and all the trees. Now when they sprout leaves, seeing it you will know that summer is now near. So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luk 21:29-31).

The time of the harvest is arrived. Very soon the end will come to pass:

•    “And He said, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then Jehovah said to me, The end has come to My people Israel: I will never pass by them any more.” (Amo_8:2).

So, if you,  by day and by night, feels as if the hand of the Creator is heavy on you (as if your sap is turned into the droughts of summer  Psalm 32:4), don’t disturb your soul! Know that your labor is not without fruit in the Lord Jesus (1Cor 15:58). Perhaps what you are sowing now, will be boons in the life of people that you not even know that exists (Isaiah 49:21) or that will exist. 

Stay in the peace of the Lord Jesus meditating on the verse quoted above:

•    “Then you shall say in your heart, Who has borne me these, since I am bereaved, and desolate, turned aside and an exile, and who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?” (Isa 49:21).