“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).

As I was walking around the campus last week, watching and listening, I heard and felt so many emotions from our staff. A couple of you had literally saved lives in the last few hours, and that is just what I myself had witnessed. I know that these desperate interventions are all too common and occur every day all day. The fragility of life and the extreme emotional and physical struggles each of you see on a daily basis can wear you down. Even though you know intellectually that God is good, and His mercies endure forever, it may sometimes seem like a distant, academic reality, rather than up close and personal and timely.

We have heard of the principle of the “Law of the Harvest,” more often expressed as “you reap what you sow.” This usually is offered negatively, as in the consequences of disobedience. But this principle is neutral on its face–neither negative or positive, or perhaps we should say both negative and positive. Since we know all too well the negative implications, let us focus on the positive implications. The Bible includes many passages about the rewards of obedience. I suggest that we all meditate on these verses until they become imprinted on our hearts.

• Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. (Deuteronomy 5:33)
• But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love… (Psalm 33:18)
• Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:9-10)
• Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)
• But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35)
•  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:18)
• Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22)

I hope to encourage you to keep on keeping on. We know from 1 Corinthians that love always perseveres; it never fails. But we can only do this under the power of the Holy Spirit. So how do we receive this power?

1. Prayer: Pray for yourself, pray for each other, pray for those we serve. I commit to pray for each of you.
2. Meditate on God’s Word: I can attest to the power of the Scriptures to be a sufficient authority for all things pertaining to faith and godliness; the final and inspired authority from God.
3. Remember that God sees everything. Even when you think that your efforts are inconsequential or insufficient (my typical reaction), remember that Jesus said that if we do it for the least of these, it is as if we are doing it for Him.
4. In everything you think, do, and say, seek the Lord and His righteousness. Make Him the desire of your heart. And like Paul, you will be able to say “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (1 Corinthians 9:6-11).

In Christ,

Judy