The date was April 15, 1912. That day, the Titanic sank.

The ship collided with an iceberg as she was making her maiden voyage to the United States. While everyone blames the iceberg, there was another reason the disaster happened, which was that the sailor on the lookout was not able to look far enough to spot the iceberg early.

You see, on the day before the launch of the Titanic, David Blair, the second officer on the ship, had been reassigned. In his haste to go to his new assignment, David accidentally took with him the key to the crow’s nest locker room. What is the crow’s nest?

Well, the crow’s nest is a structure on the upper part of the main mast of a ship that is used as a lookout point. The sailor is given a pair of binoculars placed inside the crow’s nest locker. At this elevated position, with the binoculars, the sailor can look further to spot any hazard.

But because David mistakenly took the key with him, the crow’s nest locker remained locked. Without the binoculars, the local sailor on duty could not have looked far ahead.

After the disaster, an inquiry was formed to interview the survivors. One of the sailors told the inquiry that the binoculars would certainly have allowed the ship to sight the iceberg much earlier, allowing the ship to avoid the collision. So a big reason there was a catastrophe that cost the lives of 1,500 people was that the sailor could not take a good look far ahead.

Jesus told his disciples: “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35)

Jesus wants us to open our eyes to take a good look. What happens if we fail to look? We fail to realise that the fields are ripe and we miss the opportune time to bring in the harvest. When that happens, crops will wither, and the harvest will be wasted.

On another occasion, Jesus told the disciples that “the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest field”. (Matthew 9:37-38)

Not only are we told that the harvest is ready and plentiful, we are told that there are not enough labourers. We are to pray that God will send out His labourers. Immediately after that, Jesus sent out 72 followers for missions.

Jesus also commissions all of us in Matthew 28: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Open your eyes and have a good look, pray and be labourers, and go and make disciples of all nations.

We are to look beyond our local church, beyond our nation, to all nations.

Fast forward to Revelation 7:9, when John reported seeing “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from every tribe and people and languages, standing before the throne and before the lamb.”

What a privilege that God invites us to partner with Him to usher the harvest into His throne room. So let’s make disciples of everyone, everywhere. It’s harvest time! Let’s pray:

Father, help all of us to go and look, pray and be the labourers You want us to be. Help us to be willing, help us to be empowered by Your love and led by the Spirit for all Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect

1. What is holding you back from being a harvest labourer in God’s kingdom?

2. Is there an encounter you have had, heard, or read about recently that shows that the harvest is ripe?

3. What is God impressing on your heart to do in order to be His labourer and make disciples of all nations?

Pray