God's word for me for 2011 Part 1

AS I sought God’s word for me for this year I was drawn to a passage in Matthew 20:6 

“  And about the eleventh hour he( landowner)  went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

My eyes locked in the phrase  “eleventh hour”.  Eleventh house is an expression that means “a time which is nearly too late” or “the last possible moment at which something can be done, or which problems or solutions might arise. Some expressions in today’s lingo that comes to mind are “last minute”, a now or never situation. In the context of Matthew 20 the 11th hour refers to the last working hour of the day which is probably around 5 in the afternoon. 

As I meditated on this passage, God gave me the following messages that I feel is His word for me for the year 2011. 

Message 1: Start to initiate. Waiting time is over. Put an end to procrastination. Today is the appointed day. Lay aside idleness and get to work. 

As mentioned earlier the eleventh hour is equated to our current day expression "last minute". It is interesting that in spite of the fact that the landowner went out 4 times during the day looking for workers that on the fourth time he goes out seeking workers he still found men who were standing idle in the marketplace obviously just waiting for someone to hire them. Was there a dearth of employers that they remained unemployed almost the entire day? I do not think that was the case. For the Hebrew people, as for those in any agricultural district today, the harvest was a most important season (Gen 8:22; 45:6). Events were reckoned from harvests (Gen 30:14; Josh 3:15; Jdg 15:1; Ruth 1:22; 2:23; 1 Sam 6:13; 2 Sam 21:9; 23:13). The three principal feasts of the Jews corresponded to the three harvest seasons (Ex 23:16; 34:21,22); (1) the feast of the Passover in April at the time of the barley harvest (compare Ruth 1:22); (2) the feast of Pentecost (7 weeks later) at the wheat harvest (Ex 34:22), and (3) the feast of Tabernacles at the end of the year (October) during the fruit harvest. The seasons have not changed since that time. Given this reality one should have plenty of opportunity for work during the harvest season. Yet in the midst of so much opportunity these men were found by the landowner doing nothing in the market place. What was their excuse? "Because no one has hired us" (Mat.20:7). Instead of initiating these men chose to wait idly in the market place. They passively stood in the middle of the hustle and bustle in the market place surrounded by opportunity around them.

In contrast we see a different attitude from the landowner. The landowner's concern was for the harvest in his vineyard. The grapes has been harvested before it is too late. He repeatedly goes out seeking for workers. First he goes out in the morning (Mat.20:1) to hire workers for his vineyard agreeing to pay them a denarius for a day's work. Then again at 9 in the morning he goes out and hires more men to work in his vineyard. Then again about 3 in the afternoon he goes out again for the same reason and finally at 5 am (the 11th hour), the last working hour of the day, he once again heads to the marketplace looking for more workers. 

Such sense of urgency, such willingness to do whatever it takes to bring in his harvest. As the parable unfolds we read that the landowner paid same amount of money to those who worked during the 11th hour. To the landowner it was important to harvest the grapes at the right time because not doing so can mean failed crop or a wasted harvest and a great one at that. Those who grow grapes know that grapes have to be harvested at the right time. If grapes are left too long on the vine the berries may shatter, or may get damaged by birds, insects or worse start to rot affecting the amount of yield a vineyard owner may have.

As I meditated on this word, the questions God placed before me were...How much are you initiating? How much are you willing to give to bring in the harvest? What are you investing to bring in the harvest. Like the landowner will you go out and seek those workers and encouraged them to come work in the field? A realization that dawned on me is the time is now. I want to work for the vineyard then I must initiate and not just wait for opportunities. Truth of the matter is opportunities are all around me. All I have to do is to open my eyes and let the Lord of the harvest lead me.

Thanks for this word dear Lord. I receive it with humility and a determination to walk in it and carry out the good works you have ordained for me to do in this lifetime and during this season of my life. Amen.