Why do you think harvest-time is a time of joy? discuss in groups.
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Harvest crowns the year with God’s goodness. When the harvest is abundant, there is universal joy. Everyone rejoices. The owner of the land is glad, because he sees the harvest; the labourers are glad, for they see the fruit of their toil; even those to whom not a single ear may belong nevertheless join in the common joy, because a rich harvest is a blessing to all the nation. It is a joyful sight to see the last loaded wagon come creaking down the village road, to watch the youngsters who shout so loudly, yet know so little what they are shouting about, to see the peasant on the top of the wagon as he waves his hat, and shouts some gleeful exclamation, and to see them taking it all to the stack or barn. There is joy throughout the village, there is joy throughout the land, when the harvest time comes. A better joy than this, however, greets the more auspicious season when a sinner finds his Saviour, when the prayers that he has sown, like handfuls of seed, come up, and the good yellow ears of confidence in his Saviour are brought to maturity. Those who divide the plunder shout loudly, their joyful clamour reaches the heavens; but the joy of those who have found the Saviour is greater than theirs; they can say, with the psalmist, “You are more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.” Burst, you barns! overflow, you wine-vats! but you cannot give such joy to your possessors as Christ, really grasped and laid hold on, can give to a soul that feels its need of him. The joy of harvest is far exceeded by the joy of simple faith. Faith experienced what she sought and expected. It is an act of faith, in some manner, when the farmer casts his good seed into the earth to die. He loses sight of it for a long time; it must rot and decay under the clods. It is not quickened unless it dies. But he believes that it will be ultimately to his gain to sustain a loss of those golden handfuls. When he sees the harvest, his faith is honoured, and proved to be sound sense. So, too, his cherished hopes are fulfilled. When he first saw the green blade appearing above the soil, he had hope of golden ears; when the whole field grew green, and looked like his own pastures, then he thought most surely that harvest time would come; and each day, as he has walked across his field, or all around it, as he has seen first the blade, and then the ear, he has hoped to see the full grain in the ear; and now his hopes are all fulfilled in the harvest before him; his labour is all repaid. Many a time have his workmen plodded to and fro over that ground; it was toilsome drudgery, — to plough, to harrow, to sow; there was much weeding, the hoe had to be frequently used, but now he begrudges no labour that has been spent; he has a good return for all his outgoing in the incoming of his harvest. Harvest is the fruition of faith, of hope, and of labour.
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