Where is the Harvest?

During one of my daily prayer times last week, I am confident the Lord spoke to me.

There are a few areas of my life right now where I feel I am working very hard, yet haven’t seen the results I desired. One in particular is a fitness/weight loss challenge I joined. The challenge was to lose 25 lbs in 6 weeks. Last week at about four and a half weeks in, I had “only” lost 11 lbs. I was very frustrated that I was working so hard at my workouts and eating habits, yet not quite getting the outcome I wanted. Surely if I was putting in this intense level of commitment, I would see a payoff soon, but the scale was just not moving much.

There are a couple additional areas where I have been pouring out my heart, and yet it seems as if it’s all effort and no results. It’s difficult to work at something and feel like it’s not making a difference.

Then I heard the Lord, almost audibly.

Work without a harvest- Persevere.

The harvest belongs to the Lord.

I wrote it, looked at it, and it definitely did not come from me.

“Yes, Lord. I hear You.”

This message was hard to hear. All my life I have worked towards things knowing if I was dedicated and did not give up, I would see results. In a lot of cases, that is true. But what the Lord was speaking to my heart that morning was, “Don’t do it for the result. Do it because you love Me and it is right.”

A lengthy growing season before the long awaited harvest pushes my eyes back up to the face of Jesus.

Why would I want to look anywhere else?

This message applies to my physical goals, but it really applies more to the spiritual. I should work hard, do what is right for my body so that I can be healthy and serve the Lord, my family, and others. But emptying myself into my children, for example, and not seeing immediate change is wearisome. I know the Lord is faithful and will hear my prayers.

“For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

You rule throughout all generations.

The Lord always keeps His promises;

He is gracious in all He does.” Psalm 145:13 NLT

“…So is my word that goes out from my mouth;

It will not return to me empty,

But will accomplish what I desire

And achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 NIV

It’s not about the results. On the scale, or anywhere else. What matters is where my focus is during the journey. Because if my gaze is held by Jesus, there is nowhere else better to be. And I know that He is faithful to keep His promises.