The End Result

"Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few"- Matthew 9:37 (NIV).

In the 1940's, Little Golden Books published and popularized a Russian folk story called The Little Red Hen. To summarize, a mother hen found a grain of wheat, planted it, harvested the wheat, threshed and milled the wheat, and then baked some lovely warm bread. At each process in the bread's creation she asked other barn animals who was willing to help her, and they each declined with a myriad of excuses, until the last question of who was willing to help her eat the bread. Each barn animal was quick to say they would help, but the little red hen told the lazy barn animals they couldn't enjoy the warm bread because they had not helped her in the process. Though not stated in the book this is Biblical: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Moral of the story: Those who do not contribute do not deserve to enjoy the end result. Heaven is our end result. Jesus is asking who is willing to help with His harvest. The harvest is huge, but few workers are showing up and the sad reality is they won't be enjoying the end result. Are you willing?

Holding Loosely

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight"- Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV).

We need to hang on to worldly things loosely. When we cling to anything tightly it becomes an object that fosters pride. Then, when the item is taken from us we form a committee of self-pity and we become its president. Loosely held things slip from our fingers easier and we can say along with Job: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised" (Job 1:21). Job trusted in the Lord, not on his own understanding. When we consider that all things belong to the Lord, only temporarily in our hands, we can let go of them when He takes them away without feeling He took away something that belonged to us. God will never leave us, nor forsake us. He does not loosely hold us. We belong to Him. He asks only that we trust in Him...even if we don't understand. Hold loosely to the things of this world and may the name of the Lord be praised.   

Let Them Eat Mud

"How abundant are the good things that You have stored up for those who fear You, that You bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in You"- Psalm 31:19 (NIV).

Psalm 23 says God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, He anoints our head with oil, our cup overflows (v.5). That's two verses that tell us that God will let the world know who His children are by showing them favor. Then why aren't all His children wealthy, healthy, with good jobs and intact families? True those are measurable blessings, but God has more intended for us, blessings that cannot be measured. There are earthly treasures we seek, but Heavenly treasures await God's children. Was Jesus well off and well to do while He walked among us? He could have been, but nothing on earth enticed Him like the heavenly treasures He was used to and was soon returning to. Earthly treasures held no luster that attracted Him; It would be like us desiring to eat mud after feasting on exotic delicacies. The watching world will one day see the abundance God has planned for His children. Let the world enjoy their mud. There are delicacies awaiting us.