3 Ways to Reap a Biblical Harvest in Your Daily Walk

However, before we seek to delve into the purpose of this season and how we can apply it to our lives, we need to know what the Bible says about it. To do that, we must start in the beginning. Genesis 2:8-9 gives us this precious illustration of how God planted a garden on the eastward side of Eden. This was done with meticulous intent and purposeful thought because this garden is exactly where God created man, His most prized possession. The bottom line is God is a masterful gardener and loves to sow, water, nurture, and harvest His creation. If you get nothing else out of this article today, please hold on to that truth as you step into this autumn season.

Biblical harvest is also conveyed in a few other ways, holding multi-faceted meanings because our God uses His Word to share both literal and figurative (or symbolic) depictions to get through to us. That said, in the literal sense, Biblical harvest is the season of gathering crops, such as grain or fruit, lasting seven weeks from Passover to Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21 and Deuteronomy 16:9-12). In addition, the word harvest is used in reference to God’s good and perfect timing, bearing the right time and season for everything. Jeremiah 5:24 and Amos 4:7-8 are perfect examples of this as God withheld rain, awaiting His people to repent of their sins and turn back to Him.

Further examples of Biblical harvest are found in Matthew 9 and 13 when Jesus is teaching His followers about the mission and mindset that must be carried out into a lost and broken world. Due to the high demand for spiritual needs, there was a call to pray for those in need of salvation and redemption as well as share the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, harvesting those that bear ripe fruit and bringing them into the kingdom of God (Matthew 9:36-39). Then Jesus brings in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9 proving that we may scatter the seeds of faith, but only God is in the business of harvesting souls. 

Truth be told, the season of harvest is still applicable to us today! The harvesting of souls is desperately needed, but unfortunately, there is still a lack of workers. So, as we head into this beautiful fall season, we have a sweet opportunity to apply spiritual harvest in our lives by “getting to work” in our own lives and the lives around us. So, if you are willing and ready to sow, water, nurture, and harvest as the Holy Spirit leads and God provides, then read on! 

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If you are a gardener (or know someone who is), then you likely understand (or have heard about) the patience and love that are typically involved with the agricultural growth process. From fruit seeds to a variety of vegetation, there is generally a four-step process that includes sowing, watering, nurturing, and harvesting. This gardening method is also found in God’s Word, figuratively speaking, to be applied when it comes to spreading the gospel (Mark 4:14). 

Ecclesiastes 11:6 encourages us to make the most of our of time by sowing seeds wisely. Basically, we are to spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ to anyone with open hearts and listening ears. Simply put, as we come into casual conversations with others or encounter family and friends in everyday situations, God can create space for us to plant seeds with patience and diligence. This is done by building relationships, earning trust, and living by faith.

Harvest may be seasonal, and when it pertains to souls coming to Jesus, everyone has a different rate and timeline of growth, which equates to them ripening in God’s perfect timing. Yet, as disciples of Christ, we mustn’t grow weary, discouraged, or tired from doing what we are called to do, but rather continually sow into the lives of those God places on our heart or puts in our path, knowing our part is to share love, truth, and our faith – God will take care of the rest (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Quite possibly, one of the most profound ways we sow seeds of love, truth, and faith begins with the little souls in our own homes. If you are a parent, you know the heavy weight of this huge responsibility. Sowing a seed in the hearts of our children, praying they come to faith on their own while watering and nurturing, calls for an extra dose of patience and great devotion. It may feel like a daunting task, but Proverbs 22:6 provides comfort, promising that as we dedicate our children to the Lord, they are His, and that seed of faith is with them throughout their lives to lean into or fall back on. From that point, all we can do is earnestly pray and continue to pour into them, hoping God does a miraculous work in their heart so we reap what we have so diligently sowed (Galatians 6:7).

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While spiritual harvest is a process and takes time, thankfully, we aren’t doing it alone; the Holy Spirit guides us, and the Lord brings it to full competition. That said, every garden needs water to thrive. It’s also been said that “talking” to plants helps them grow faster, too. So, yes, they need continual nurturing as well.

When it comes to spiritual gardening, once we spread the good news with a friend or neighbor, we must check on them and provide the “water and nurturing they need for their thirsty and weary soul.” Psalm 1:3 says that a person is like a tree planted by a stream, yielding its own fruit. As we strive to connect others to Jesus, we are essentially sharing our source of “living water” and the wellspring of everlasting life. This is where we can share our own personal faith journey, watering them with truth and nurturing them with grace. All the while, it lets them know that in time, they will be that tree that bears fruit as their roots get more and more submerged in the living water and come to know the truth of the gospel.

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Psalm 65 sings a sweet hymn of praise unto the Lord, particularly one that can be declared during the harvest. As we enter a season that calls for us to marvel at the majestic handiwork of our God, allowing our senses to be overcome by His rich goodness and faithfulness, let’s also allow that Psalm and all His glory to posture our hearts in praise and worship. As we water and nurture our own faith seed with thanksgiving and praise, we can also create room for God to move in our lives and whisper to our hearts to be thoughtful and intentional about investing in the lives of others. 

Friend, if we really want to apply the season of harvest to our own lives and make an eternal impact for the kingdom, we need to not only cultivate an environment that is rich in praise, thanks, and worship but also be fully receptive to His pruning as we prepare of our heart for harvest. That may mean that you come clean before Him and accept His grace or listen to the lead of the Holy Spirit to spread the good news to a neighbor or friend, sowing seeds that can flourish and, with God’s perfect timing, become harvested souls!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9. 

That is a promise that is truly praiseworthy and can give us such hope as we live according to God’s spiritual plan! Wow! We serve such an amazing and purposeful God of harvest!

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