In ancient Israel, the harvest was a big deal.

It was hard work and usually involved a significant portion of the community. Farmers had to wait for the first rains to come before they could start plowing. If they didn’t start plowing right after the rains had softened the ground, they might not get a good harvest, or miss it altogether!

There were two harvests: Spring harvest and summer harvest. In the spring, grains like wheat and barley were harvested, as well as herbs and legumes (like lentils and beans). In the summer, they harvested fruit like grapes, figs, olives, and dates.

If the farmers didn’t work hard to plant the seed, and the laborers didn’t work hard during the harvest, they would go hungry and bring both hardship and shame to themselves and their families.

Most of us aren’t farmers anymore, but we still bring in harvests. Whether in our jobs or in school; our work brings a harvest into our lives. When we leave things until the last minute or put off finishing tasks, our harvest suffers, and we lose the benefits we could have reaped. But if we work hard and don’t give up, in due time, we will reap the harvest of our diligence.