Harvest Time

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity. And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:16-18

This time of year, the fields are filled with combines, tractors, wagons and other equipment as farmers work long hours to bring in the fall crops. Drought and rain, heat and cold, hail and wind, all these elements influence the harvest. We pray for a bountiful harvest, even as we rely on technological inventions such as hybrid seed, irrigation, and global positioning. In the end, the outcome of harvest comes down to seeds, soil, and weather.

Fall is a good time of year to reflect on what we have sown and how we have tended our own gardens. What will be our harvest and the fruits of our labors? James explains that we will reap what we sow, saying: "Can a fig tree yield olives or a grapevine, figs?" He urges us to be "open to reason, full of mercy, and good fruits." As the harvest is brought in from Nebraska's fields this fall, let us renew our effort personally, in our communities, and as a nation to sow seeds of peace in the sincere hope of a future harvest of peace.

Prayer: Creator God, help us to be peacemakers as we look ahead to a harvest of good fruits, mercy, and peace for all of your people. Amen.

Claudia Reinhardt (reprinted from Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)