The Anticipation of Harvest in the Vineyard

Harvest is the viticulturist’s big payoff. The prize that every grower anticipates through each season among the vines.

Yes, the purpose of the vineyard is grape production.

Each vine and each branch labors for this moment each year. From bud formation the previous year, in the dormant season, then in spring and photosynthesis as the plant begins to make its own food through the divine process ordained by God.

The anticipation for me began in the spring at bud break. Then come the questions, hopes and prayers. Will there be a late frost? Was pruning adequate? And hopefully pruning was completed. Will there be drought? Enough rainfall at the right time?

The Prayer of Serenity

Then the prayer of serenity: God grant me the serenity to know that the weather is in your control, as is the pending crop. Then the letting go and letting God. And prayers for a good harvest of sweet fruit.

The gardener waits and watches the vines through the growing season. The berries set, then grow. Finally, version. That’s when the clusters begin to turn from green to purple, red or white depending on the vinifera (grape variety) grown. The Ripening approaches.

Expectations rise. How much longer?

Then, when the gardener thinks the grapes are ripe, they are tested with an instrument called a spectrometer. A drop of juice is squeezed onto a small plate, covered, then while looking toward the sun, the reading is taken. Has the sugar content reached the maximum content? Or does the wait continue for another day? Two or three?

Finally, the grapes are sweet, ripe and ready to be picked. The thrill of harvest begins. The inward celebration ramps up. The viticulturist employs all hands-on deck in the effort to get each prized cluster of grape goodness off the vine and to the consumer. Time is limited. The harvest is now and will not wait.

The gathering of the grapes continues until each cluster is off the vine. The race complete in order to prevent rot of the fruit on the vines.

Harvest is the reward for the viticulturist. An abundance of nice juicy grapes.

God’s Whisper

My Beloved. As the Gardener and manager of your branch, I wait for the thrill of harvest that is entrusted to you. Your fruit is sweet and succulent. Ready for those in need and those whose hearts are broken. Yes, delivering the harvest to the ever-ready harvest of souls requires many workers. Pray for the workers of the harvest. The laborers are limited and the harvest will not wait. Seize the moment of harvest and rejoice in the provision of sweet fruit from each branch and each rescued soul.

Scripture for Today

“And another angel came out of the temple sanctuary, calling with a mighty voice to Him Who was sitting upon the cloud, Put in Your scythe and reap, for the hour has arrived to gather the harvest, for the earth’s crop is fully ripened” (Revelation 14:15 AMP).

^“For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness—in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God” (Hebrews 12:11 AMP).

Prayer for Today

Father, we humbly come to you today. We pray that our harvest would be sweet and succulent for those in need. We also ask that the laborers for the harvest would gather at this time, ready to reap the harvest that will not wait. Help us to reach each lost soul in need of your divine love and salvation. Amen