For many of us, fall is a time of reflection.  We consider whether we are any closer to the goals we've set throughout the year, whether we've made any progress in becoming the people God wants us to be, and whether we have any reason to celebrate the fruits of our labor.  It's generally the time of year when we take stock of the seeds we've sown in our lives.

For most of us, there will be something to celebrate.  We will have tried something new, taken a leap of faith, or reconciled with a loved one.  In general, we will have some type of good harvest to gather.  But, will we actually reap the benefits?  I read recently that for farmers, harvesting requires the most work out of the year.  It requires the most labor and investment because you have to collect everything good  that has matured from the earth.

The same is true in each of our lives. So many times, God gives us what we've asked for – but we never gather the harvest!  We put all of this energy into praying and believing that God will make a way for us, but when that opportunity presents itself, we do not rise to the occasion.  Has God placed an opportunity in your life that you are afraid to act upon?  The job you've been praying for – is there someone right in front of you who can provide that opportunity, but you have not yet approached them?  The task may seem daunting – what if it leads to a dead end?  Know that if God has placed the opportunity there, then he has also placed within you the power to meet that opportunity. It requires faith to believe that we can succeed.  Don't be overwhelmed by the possibility of failure – God provides the means to both nurture the harvest and to reap it.  He will not give you one without the other.

Let us be fearless in reaping the harvest that God has blessed for us.  Let us believe that when He presents us with a bountiful harvest, he also makes a way for us gather to it.  He will be there for us at every step of the way!