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LESSON 23
Tending to Your Harvest
Why is Tending to Your Harvest significant?
The reason why it is significant is because when you tend to the harvest, you take full responsibility for your life and the results you create, which is a good idea to look at the entire picture, the full scope and sum of your results—an inventory for everything. This is about taking an honest look at where things are on track for you and where there is room for improvement. Or maybe you may need a complete overhaul. What does the Bible say about this? "If you'll hearken to My voice and do what I have commanded you to do, then you will enjoy My blessings" (Deuteronomy 28:1–2). The Lord has set down guidelines in His Word. If we obey His guidelines, He is obligated to do what He said he will do. But when we're not doing what God has commanded us to do, He doesn't have to hold up His end of the bargain either. That's why it's so important for us to take inventory!God wants to give us the desires of our heart; however, without vision and purpose we are lost and confused. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18).
Your “harvest” is the vision God has for your life. Why is this significant? Because in the very beginning of this journey, we talked about a vision for your life. Some people refer to it as a blueprint, a compass, or a life map. Did you create one for yourself? Are you moving “towards” or “away” from your vision? Or are you moving in a circle with no goal, destination, or result in mind? Successful people have the same consistent message about writing down their goals and vision. It is a requirement to them. It is significant to have an intention, so you know where to put your attention. Without it, you are on an undirected journey.
Tips/Nuggets
Principally speaking, tending to your harvest refers to taking care of the blessings and resources that God has entrusted to you. It is a principle that emphasizes stewardship, responsibility, and wise management of the abundance or provisions that come your way.
According to the Bible, there are several parables and teachings that highlight the importance of tending to one's harvest. For example, the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) teaches about using and multiplying the resources or talents given to you rather than squandering or neglecting them. Similarly, the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20) illustrates the importance of cultivating fertile soil to produce a bountiful harvest.
When you think about biblically tending to your harvest, it means recognizing that the blessings, skills, opportunities, and material resources you have are gifts from God. It involves being a good steward by using them wisely, responsibly, and in alignment with God's principles and purposes. Here are some helpful tools you can apply on a daily basis.
Integrity: Handling your resources with honesty, integrity, and ethical conduct.
Gratitude: Acknowledging God's provision and expressing gratitude for the blessings you have received.
Generosity: Sharing your blessings with others, being compassionate, and helping those in need.
Diligence: Putting effort, skill, and dedication into utilizing and maximizing the resources you have been given.
Multiplication: Seeking ways to multiply and increase the impact and benefit of your resources, whether it's through investment, wise decision-making, or using your talents for the greater good.
Faithfulness: Recognizing that you are entrusted with resources for a purpose and faithfully fulfilling that purpose in alignment with God's will.
Ultimately, when you live by the principle of tending to your harvest you can recognize that everything comes from God.
Nugget #1:
Review the four areas of one’s life: Contribution & Spirituality, Health & Wellbeing, Career & Education, and Love & Relationships to analyze where things are on track for you and where there is room for improvement. The Bible is clear in Genesis 2:15 when God gave men two clear instructions. First, “tend and keep” or “sow and reap” his garden. So much like a farmer, there are many crops that must be tended to (the four areas of one’s life) in our lives. According to Proverbs 16:11, it is clear God’s intention is for us to live a balanced life - “A just weight and balance are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are His work.”
Nugget #2:
Establish a vision for your life (see lesson #1 Lifemap Blueprint). How will you know what to harvest if you don’t know what to sow? Identify everything you want to Be, Do and Have. Who do you want to BE? What do you want to DO? And what do you want to HAVE throughout your life? Your “harvest” is the vision God has for your life aside from bringing others into the Kingdom. By doing so, it will help to solidify your purpose in alignment with God’s plan for your life. Remember what you plant grows (I.e., plant an apple seed, you get an apple, not an orange). Therefore, if you sow anger, you will NOT produce or harvest love. You must sow the harvest you want to reap.
Nugget #3:
Be God centered and focused. God has given each of us certain talents and skills (harvest) to use for His purpose. The elite athlete didn’t acquire this talent and skill (harvest) on their own except it be given to them by God; therefore, honor God and exalt Him by glorifying Him and not yourself because of it. Jesus said, He is the living water, providing the necessary nourishment for our souls to that “Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures have said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” - John 7:38. Therefore, tending to your harvest means watering it with the Word of God.
Going Deeper in the Word
Lesson 23 - Tending To Your Harvest - #additionalverses
Here are some additional Bible verses to support you for this lesson:
Is all about the Reaping and Sowing
Galatians 6:7-9
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Will Receive Blessings through Obedience
Deuteronomy 28:1-2
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Requires Great Patience
Proverbs 19:11
“A person's wisdom yields patience.”
Ecclesiastes 7:13
“Patience is better than pride.”
Proverbs 14:19
“Whoever is patient toward people has great understanding”
Proverbs 15:18
“Calms a quarrel”
Requires Us to Be Responsible and Accountable for our Actions
Genesis 4:7
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Adam’s son Cain was warned by God that he would be held personally responsible for his actions. And he was not obedient in his sowing. He did it his way instead of how God required his offering. Therefore, he was held responsible.
Jonah 1:7-8
“And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” - Jonah was held responsible for his choice to run away from the Lord’s direction for him.
Biblical accountability begins with taking responsibility for your actions and making a conscious choice to align with God’s purpose while allowing others to help in accomplishing His plan for your life. Responsibility implies accountability!!! How you sow (plan, plant, cultivate and nurture your garden) for your life’s vision will be in direct proportion to (what) and (why) you reap a certain harvest in your life.
Real Talk
Broken Glass Theory
When I think about the topic tending to your harvest it reminds me of the Broken Glass Theory. The Broken Glass theory is simple. The less you tend to care for the things in your life, the less people tend to care about those things as well. If people start to see you, don't take care of your lawn (garden). They too will start to litter or defile it as well. In the Broken Glass theory it was New York Cities crime wave. And when the residents started to see Graffiti on the subway cars, crime began to rise. But as soon as they began to take care of the Graffiti and started holding people accountable and responsible crime drastically dropped.
So that’s exactly why your mom or parents want you to MAKE YOUR BED everyday.
It’s the little things that matter. Because when you tend to a harvest, it’s NOT plant a seed and done, it’s the constant tending, tilling and nurturing that MUST be done to REAP a desired result. This goes for our relationships. You see most relationships don’t fail because of Big things (although this does happen) it’s mostly because of the little things (tending, tilling, and nurturing) that gets neglected. It too needs constant focus and feedback to grow. Love is an action verb.
So, whether it’s your relationship, finances, spiritual walk, or health, what you reap, you sow, and what you plant must be nurtured and tended to in order to grow!
Be responsible and accountable. The garden is an amazing analogy for our life.
Resources
Take Advantage of the Resources we have put together for you!
When you utilize the workbook along with these resources, you will create lasting and undeniable results!