Farmers in the Panhandle of Texas face a daunting task. While much of the land is fertile and suitable for crops, the weather can bring some interesting challenges. The issue of water has been solved with the use of irrigation, but they haven’t found a solution for the droughts, the hail, and the destructive winds. Harvest time, in essence, becomes a guessing game. There is a small window between when the crops are ready and when the weather becomes too bad to harvest. If you miss the window, your entire season’s work can be left lying on the ground, worthless to anyone but the wildlife.
Jeremiah 8
20"The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone," the people cry, "yet we are not saved!"21I weep for the hurt of my people. I am stunned and silent, mute with grief. 22Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people?
20"The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone," the people cry, "yet we are not saved!"21I weep for the hurt of my people. I am stunned and silent, mute with grief. 22Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people?
God has just described to Jeremiah the fate of the nation of Israel. They have not only abandoned their relationship with the Father, they have also lost their sense of shame. The things that are being done, even in the Temple, are against everything they have been taught over the years and God is going to punish them. In verse 12 of this chapter, God says that they do not even blush at the thought of their evil. Consequently, God is sending death and destruction to the land. The people will suffer either death by starvation, death by the sword, or captivity at the hands of a conquering nation. There are no other alternatives at this point.
These words strike the heart of Jeremiah like a knife. In anguish, he cries out “My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken.” He can hear the voices of his people crying out in their suffering, but the time for punishment has arrived. Even though Jeremiah knows that the die is cast, he cannot help but mourn over the fate of God’s people.
What an incredible message to the people of God! The Bible promises us that there will be a day when God’s redemptive work on this world will be over. Those who have not taken advantage of the opportunities presented them to “believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved” will be out of chances. Like the farmer standing in his field, looking at a crop beaten to the ground by a hailstorm, we will see people come to the realization that they have missed the train. The harvest will be finished, and some will not be saved.
Church, if that does not send cold chills down your spine, get on your knees and ask God to rekindle your fire of compassion for the lost. We are surrounded by people who have not surrendered their lives to Jesus, and time is running out. Once the hourglass is empty, there will be no medicine around to heal their wounds. Earlier in this chapter, God tells Jeremiah: “They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound.” We must make sure that what we offer is the saving power of the blood of Jesus, not a band-aid for an eternal life threatening injury.
REACH ONE MORE FOR JESUS – before the harvest is over.
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
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