November 30

Call for laborers

“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37).
“Let me now go to the field, and glean” (Ruth 2:2).

Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest—laborers! Men with coats off and sleeves rolled up, and with grace, grit and gumption, to do exploits for the Master!
—John Harrison.

Use me, God, in Thy great harvest field,
Which stretcheth far and wide like a wide sea;
The gatherers are so few; I fear the precious yield
Will suffer loss. Oh, find a place for me!
A place where best the strength I have will tell;
It may be one the older toilers shun;
Be it a wide or narrow place, ’tis well,
So that the work it holds be only done.
—Christina Rossetti.


“The fields are white unto harvest. Thrust in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.” But the Lord wants reapers. Who of you will go out, sickle in hand, to meet Him? The harvest is ripe; shall it droop in heavy and neglected masses, for want of reapers to gather it in? To you, the young, in your enthusiasm—to you, the aged, in your wisdom—to you, men of daring enterprise and chainless ardor—to you, heirs of the rare endurance, and strong affection of womanhood—to you, the rich, in the grandeur of your equalizing charity—to you, the poor, in the majesty of your ungrudging labor, the Master comes and speaks. Does not the whisper thrill you? “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” Up, there’s work for you all—work for the lords of broad acres, work for the kings of two hands. Ye are born, all of you, to a royal birthright.
—W. Morley Punshon.

A young woman puzzled about the call of God once asked Ron Davies, a missionary home on furlough, “Please, Mr. Davies, what is a call?” His face lit up. He beamed at her and took up his Bible. Turning the pages of it, he found Mark 16:15, showed it to her, and read aloud the words, “‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature!’ The call! That is the call,” he said. “God expects every Christian to go somewhere with the Gospel. All you have to do is to find out just where He wants you to go. It may be here in your own home town, or it may be He wants you to go to Africa, to China, or to Kashmir. If you are a Christian, you must preach Christ somewhere!”
—Jock Purves.

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