My Daily Journal:
I think the harvest field is such a beautiful and fitting image of the calling of Christians. When we plant crops, we turn them over to God. He is the only one who can make something grow. To take it from a seed to a plant producing fruit and seeds. He provides the soil. He provides the nutrients. He provides the rain and sunshine. There is work to be done, including the work of bringing in the harvest, but, as we learn this week, He even provides for that. He doesn’t say go and hire people or go and beg people or go and threaten people or go and scare/guilt people into the work. He says to pray and God will provide.
We often forget this and begin to think we (you and I) need to get busy making plans and recruiting. We need to get out there and polish our sales pitch. God does call us to get out of our “holy huddle”, but it also makes it abundantly clear that the workers, the work, the power, the authority and even the harvest all are from and for Him alone. Anything we allow ourselves to be tricked into thinking comes from our own power is an insult to the One from whom the true power and authority belongs.
My Answers:
3.
a.
It is His nature. They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd
b.
Ps: The Lord is my shepherd
Is: We all like sheep (Lord laid on Him the iniquity of all) He bore our sins
Je: lost sheep, scattered flock, led astray by shepherds, wandering
Ez: cared for self rather than flock, I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable
Jo: I am the good shepherd, not a hired hand
c.
Those in churches which do not follow scripture, everyone believe what they want, not the truth of God
4.
a.
Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers
b.
authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness
c.
Authority of truth of His word. Power: the hope, the riches, His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead (Eph 1)
The Notes are Good 