wk 47: The Good Harvest or the Bad and the Ugly (Bringing to Ruin the Harvest)
A Harvest of Thanks • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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THINK ABOUT THIS
Let’s say you have an average corn farm, somewhere between 450 acres and you are able to process approx. 10 to 14 acres every hour with you and your partner. Thus, it may take you approx three 12 hour days to combine the fields.
But, if you had some problems with the harvest… it could take you longer and you may not get the best return on your money.
Having a successful and bountiful crop is always our expectations. But...
LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT BRINGS RUIN TO THE HARVEST
First and foremost, Road Accidents can ruin the harvest season for all involved.
It is the responsibility of both farmers and non-farmers to practice road safety.
If you’re following too close to a combine or tractor, they likely cannot see you behind them.
Additionally, while it may seem like a farm vehicle is pulling to the side of the road to let you pass, they may actually be swinging wide to make a turn – check to see if their turn signal is on and if they are approaching a crossroad.
Rear-end collisions are another common accident between cars and farm equipment during harvest, especially when traveling on hilly roads.
According to farm safety specialists, if you’re driving 55 miles per hour and come up on a tractor going 15 miles per hour, it only takes five seconds to close the gap the length of a football field – not a lot of time to react!
It can be frustrating to wait behind a huge combine, but we’ve all got places to be. It’s more important to get there alive than get there fast, and on average, being slowed down by farm equipment is about the same as waiting for two stoplights in town).
Unforeseen Hurdles
Equipment Breakdowns or damage may not completely ruin harvest season, but can put a damper on the harvest.
such as...
Tire puncture from a deer antler shed,
Pully freeze up or belt break
Lack of fuel or bad fuel
All of these can put a farmer out of commission for a few hours or even half a day if they cannot get the parts they need in town – a big deal if rain is on the horizon.
Weather is a big factor in farming, Especially at harvest time.
Rain
In Iowa, the fall of 2018, the experienced abnormal rainfall.
It was the 2nd wettest year on record, just behind the floods of 1993. This put Iowa farmers weeks behind on harvest.
The rain made it impossible for large farm equipment to get into the field without risk of getting sucked into the soil and cool fall temperatures were a hindrance to fields drying out making grain susceptible to mold.
There were even some Iowa farmers who had to let their crops sit in the field during the winter and finished up harvest in the spring.
Derechos (wind storm) in the Corn Belt
Derechos are relatively rare events, and in the U.S. are more likely to occur in the Corn Belt,
from Minnesota and Iowa south and eastward toward the Ohio Valley (National Weather Service).
When corn is flatten or leaning to much, because of these conditions, the harvest will be long and slow.
With severely leaning corn, a special attachment will be put on our corn head to help pick up fallen stalks and feed them into the combine.
The bottom line is that corn prices in the market are directly related to the harvest.
The Good Harvest… great prices!
The Bad and the Ugly…high prices!
How about the Spiritual Harvest?
Well this month our focus as been on...
The Harvest Blessing
The Lord of the Harvest
The Worker in the Harvest and
Today: Bringing to Ruin the Harvest
what are those things that can
thwart the Harvest
foil
frustrate
balk
stop
postpone
derail
hinder
obstruct or RUIN the Harvest.
SIN
blatant sin
justified sin
unresolved sin
David and Nathan: 2 Samuel 12.1
1 So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.
13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.
We follow David’s own feelings and confession of sin in Psalms 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
Sin gets us off Mission, our bones hurt our inner being aches for forgiveness. WE NEED GOD!
when David confronts his sin, he laid bare his soul and cast himself on God's mercy (Ps. 51). Like David, we too are all sinners, and like David, we must rely upon God's grace alone for salvation. WE NEED GOD!
ATTITUDE
pride
laziness
procrastination
16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’
UN-FORGIVENESS
taking an offence toward other people
maybe well deserved—still its un-forgiveness
13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
POOR TIMING
not being wise in winning souls.
30 The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life,
and the one who wins souls is wise.
gal. 6.9
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
STEPS TO A HEALTHY HARVEST
Walk in Love
If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal. (1 Cor. 13.1 TPT)
36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Check Your Attitude Often
A positive attitude can enable you to reduce your stress level, cope with challenges in a healthy and productive way, achieve actionable goals and maintain overall mental and physical wellness.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing,
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
Live a Forgiven Life
15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
John 13:34–35 (NLT)
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
He is the Lord of the Harvest, however you have an important part to play in this gathering of souls.
Jesus said, “Go”
He was talking to you and me, but how can we go if we have contaminated the harvest.
Let’s Draw Near to God Today as David and cry out to him...
“create in me a clean heart O God…restore to me the joy of my salvation...”