Begging In The Harvest

Proverbs 20:4, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.”

In the middle east, the time of plowing the ground begins in the fall, and carries over into the winter months. This is what the writer of this great proverb is speaking of by plowing in the cold. For oftentimes the farmer would have to plow during the winter months.

The word sluggard here mentioned, means one that is lazy. Although this verse is used in literal terms, I was reading this verse yesterday, and it struck me in much a deeper spiritual way. Today I would like to bring this into our view a little differently than probably most would apply it.

Anyone that has become truly born again, soon comes to the fact that there is some times of spiritual winter. There is times that it seems God is so far away, and this leaves our soul in what seems to be a spiritual winter. But it is what we do during these times that either produces in us the fertile ground God can work with, or the hardness of heart that He must reject. When a man or women comes to these winter months where God seems so far away, they will adapt either one of two natures during this time. 1, they will become spiritually wise. Or 2, spiritually lazy.

The wise man will search his heart, and plow through the winter of his soul. He realizes that for him to become the man God would have him to be, he has to continually prepare his heart for the harvest. O, but the spiritually lazy will grumble at God for seemingly being nowhere around. He will forget all the dear promises that God has left him to hold to while going through his winter. He will slacken his prayer life, and his devotion will be drawn from God, as the emphasis of his goals become once again set upon earthly desires, filled with the enticement of warmth and carnal summer living. He never moves to the field to plow through the winter grounds, no! He would rather eat and be merry with the little amount of spiritual food he can gather from others. This type of person is one that will be content with living from one church service to the next, but never plowing the stony ground of the heart during the week by fasting, and studying Gods holy word. When the harvest is ready for those that have plowed through the trials, through the pain, through the tears and through fears… When the harvest is upon the soul that has prepared for God through the winter, and made His ways their ways, they will be made to eat a grand serving from the Masters fine table. They will be ushered into His kingdom, and brought to eat at the marriage supper of the Lamb. How glorious this will be! Well worth the lifetime of plowing and waiting! Well worth going through all the tears, all the pain, and all the times God seemed far away! It will be very well worth it on that day when He says, “Enter in, thou good… and faithful servant!” But, O how sad for the spiritually lazy. We read in our text the future of a man or women that allows themselves to become spiritual sluggards. The wise man said, “therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” Beloved, this man that gives up during the winter months, this person that allows themselves to warmed by the fire of flesh, when God brings in the great harvest, they will beg of Him then! They will beg for mercy, they will beg to dine with the Master! But, simply because the would not plow the flesh of there heart, and break up the hardness of heart by staying faithful, they will hear Him say, “depart from me, ye worker of iniquity, for I never knew you.” How tragic! Dear God don’t let it be us! Beloved, be a wise servant! Keep you heart prepared for His coming at all times! Through the pain, hold on to His word. Through the tears, hold on to His word. Through the hot times, hold on to His word. Through the winter, hold on to His word. He is coming back, for the heart that is prepared! Only those that are found faithful, and in love with Him, will not be begging …when the Harvest comes in.