Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?
             behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields;
                                  for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35

One of the clearest earmarks of lukewarmness in a born again Christian is the nonchalant apathy and lack of concern for the souls of each and every individual with whom there is interaction each day.

For most of my life, I have thought of two distinct groups of people, in relationship to the cross, those two groups being "lost" and "saved". In his first letter to the Corinthians, chapters 2 and 3, the apostle Paul defined those two groups, and showed the two sub-distinct groups of the saved, being the carnal and the spiritual in responsiveness to the Scriptures.

That means that every single individual in the world is either lost, carnal, or faithful. God is always at work to call the lost to Himself, to correct the waywardness of the carnal, and to progressively conform the spiritual to the image of His Son. If I am to cooperate with God, I must use His Word to evangelize the lost, exhort the carnal and encourage the faithful. But, in order to do so, I must have concern for, and interest in where they are spiritually.

As I have interpersonal relationships throughout the day, do I think of where each one is, in relationship to the cross? Or in relationship to the Scriptures?

May God help me today to remember that the fields are white already unto harvest.

                                      (C) 1988, 2014 N.A Collins
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Psalm 90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

It's been 43 years this spring since God began to teach me the incredible importance of this verse. After all, why would a healthy 29 year old ever give any meaningful consideration to those words?? It was only when God lovingly and graciously kept His promise of "working all things together for good"...to be conformed to the image of His Son", in Romans 8:28-29, that the process of understanding His ways became a startling reality to me.

The diagnosis of a life- threatening illness shook me to the very core of my being. Was I a Christian? YES. Did I know for sure that I would go to Heaven when I died? YES. Those things being true, why the utter hysteria and fear.? Simple enough. I knew that when I faced my Lord face to face, and gave an account of how I had reflected and represented Him to my world, I would have nothing but a very long line of negatives and zeros. My guilt and fear was rooted in my spiritual apathy and lethargy.

God used that day back in 1971 to change my life forever. Overnight? YES and NO. In a moment, He set a passionate desire in my heart to glorify Him with my life. Progressively, over time, He more and more and more convicted and conformed me toward Christ-likeness. As I yield to the ministry of His Spirit, in accordance with His Word, that process will continue to continue until when He shall appear, according to 1 John 3:2, I shall be like Him, for I shall see Him as he is.

On the road of life, I was nonchalantly traveling, even as a believer, under an erroneously assumed green light.
God used my "crisis" as a yellow light, dropped instantaneously before me. It caused me to make a biblical assessment of all the areas of my life, and see that the spiritual 'hub' needed drastic attention. Though saved, I had 'left my first love' and God drew me back unto Himself in dedication and commitment to His heart, mind, will and purpose for my life.

The green light will never return for me, but what a blessing to live everyday circumspectly (cautiously), under the yellow light, fully prepared for the red light at the time of God's choosing. It pleases God for us to number our days, to recognize the brevity of life, so that we live each moment as if it were the last, and apply our hearts to wisdom.

                                   (C) 2014 N. A. Collins
                 Limited copy permission for one personal file copy

One of the passages that has become an incredible blessing to me over the past few years is that which I read from Nehemiah 8:10.  It is simply the practical knowledge that ..."the joy of the Lord is my strength."Those words were penned, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and were in direct reference to the impact that the Word of God had upon their lives.  They listened carefully, reverently and joyfully.  In their case, the joy of the Lord that came from their dedicated attention and practical understanding of God's heart, mind, will and purpose. Similarly, when strength and courage are needed in my life today, the distinct directive is identically the same. Without an absorption of my mind into the truths of Scripture, I become weary in well-doing and struggle in the search for what seems to be a "wanna-be" life of victory.  So, the 'take-away' is that which I find in James 4:8,...as I draw nigh to Him, He draws nigh to me. How may I known the infusion of HIS strength?  Itis by drawing close to Him in His Word, learning to trust Him implicitly, and watch Him enable the obedience and service to which He has called me and for which He has promised to equip and enable me for His glory.  1 Thessalonians reminds me "Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it."   What a blessing to realize that it is the joy of the Lord that is my strength! How about you?  Weary, frustrated, defeated?  Let me urge you to follow God's directive in drawing near to Him, depending on His faithfulness, and finding His joy to be your strength. God bless you today.                                                     (C) 2014 N.A.Collins                        Limited copy permission for one personal file copy