You Have Come

“Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:38, UNASB.

As a researcher in the Pacific Rim, I do survey trips into the darkest unreached areas of our region. My job is to gather information that will help our leadership develop appropriate strategies and prioritize resources to impact our part of the world with the gospel. One particular trip into a remote area of a Buddhist nation made me realize the importance of my job.

We had traveled two days by a combination of airplane, boat, motorcycle, and foot to reach our destination. As we entered the village a woman greeted us enthusiastically. She said, “You have come! You have come!”

It turns out that this woman was on duty as the temple keeper that week. She had a recurring dream about two white men coming to the village with an important message. The senior researcher on that trip decided not to share with the village, for fear of closing the door to future presence and witness. While I was not in charge of the trip, I regret that decision. It still haunts me that we missed that opportunity to share the good news.

However, God also impressed me with the fact that He has prepared the peoples to hear, and He is simply waiting on us to go and share the gospel. I can almost hear Jesus saying, “Do not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest.’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest (John 4:35).”

Pray that:

Many will answer God’s call to the harvest fields of the Pacific Rim.

Those who go will make the most of every opportunity to proclaim the gospel of Christ regardless of the cost.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.