The harvest is a great time in the life of the farmer, and it is the culmination of all that the year entailed.  The identity of the year can be summed up in the harvest because it is the sum of all factors leading up to itself.  The harvest will be the make-or-break each year and will be the determination of future gains and projects. 

The harvest is determined by what happens during planting, cultivation, and growing times of the year.  Its profits are won and lost by the slightest of margins and are calculable by anyone who works with the land.  Some factors are out of the hands of any farmer.  Rain, hail, wind, drought,  and some pests are simply outside the realm of determination for the farmer and all who rely on the production of the crop. 

Planting is not one of those factors.  You see, planting is an element of the harvest that is totally up to the farmer, and what he is willing to invest.  The harvest will be slim if the planting is slim, and its potential grows as planting becomes more bold. 

Christians seem to believe that if we plant a smaller number of seeds, then we will have the ability to better protect and provide for these seed.  The flaw with this logic is that we are only able to determine a few of the rules that govern the growth of the plant.  What then do we do when our precious seed are disrupted by an unforeseen catastrophe?  The future is based on the development of the seed and the distribution in every area.  The soil may not be ready, and it may not yet produce fruit, but we must be diligent in distributing seed to every corner of the world.  In time, we may see a harvest where we were previously not able to yield fruit if only because we were determined to plant the seed of the gospel and allow our God and Creator to breathe life and light into dark places.

I am invigorated to plant the seed of the gospel into the generations that are yet coming.  As young, and fertile soil, they are able to gather the fruit inside and produce a great harvest.  But only when we deliver a great message to them.  Just as it is true for the farmer, we must plant thick and boldly the gospel message!