Latest / The Daily Word / August 2 – Lift Up Your Eyes
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Hello everybody. Welcome to the Daily Word podcast. I'm Robert Rosales, and along with my wife Yolanda, we have the privilege of serving as the campus pastors at Lakeshore Gastonia. Thank you for taking a few moments today to spend some time with me in the Word of God. Whether you're listening on your morning commute, enjoying a cup of coffee, or beginning your day with the Lord. My prayer is that this time encourages you and draws you closer to Him. Each day we're reading through the Bible together using the Life Journal Reading Plan. And today we'll focus on the New Testament passage. One of the things I've learned over the years is that God often speaks in the quiet moments when we simply slow down and listen. That's why I like to keep my time with him simple: a Bible, a journal, a pen. And a heart that's ready to hear. Sometimes I'll use a trusted study resource to better understand the historical or biblical context, but God's word is always our foundation. As we read, we'll use the SOAP method scripture, observation, application, and prayer. It's a simple framework that helps us move from God's word into everyday living. So before we begin, let's invite the Holy Spirit to lead us. Come on, pray with me. Father, thank you for this new day and for the privilege of opening your word. Quiet the distractions around us and the noise within us. Give us hearts that are teachable, minds that are attentive, and lives that are ready to obey whatever you reveal. Holy Spirit, illuminate the scriptures and help us not only understand them, but to live them out today. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Well, friends, today's passage for August 2nd is John chapter 4, the Gospel of John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. And I journaled from verse 35. Let me read the text out of the New King James Version. This is how it reads. Jesus said, Do you not say, There are still four months, and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. Notice what he said: lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. The title of my journal entry is simply this: Lift up your eyes and look. Here's my observation. Wow! Exclamation mark. Did you catch that? Jesus said, Lift up your eyes and look. He's not talking about wheat, corn, or any other type of planting a farmer may have in the fields. Jesus is talking about people. Verse 30 said, Then they, referring to all the men that the woman from the well talked to about Jesus, then they went out from the city and came to Jesus. Amazing. A transformed woman becomes a great evangelistic influence for the kingdom of God. What an example of how true revelation about Jesus translates into sharing Jesus with others. This is some insight I caught from a commentary. Listen in. Jesus uses a common agricultural saying to challenge his disciples' perspective on spiritual readiness. Four months to the harvest. Was a proverbial expression among the Jews. Proverbial expression among the Jews, referencing the typical interval between planting and reaping in Judea. The disciples were essentially saying, We must wait. There's still time before anything significant happens. But Jesus reframes the entire situation. He tells them to lift up your eyes and look at the fields. For they are already white for harvest, meaning the moment for action is now, not four months away. While in the natural world, one must wait four months. In the spiritual realm, the time of harvest had already arrived. The contrast is striking. In ordinary agriculture, people sowed and waited. But in Samaria, divine action had moved so swiftly. That the word was sown and the harvest was immediately ready for reaping. While the disciples focused on their physical needs, Jesus focused on people's souls, stressing the urgency of reaching the lost. One intriguing interpretation suggests that as Jesus spoke, the Samaritan villagers responding to the woman's testimony. We're streaming out toward him in their white robes, which would have appeared as white fields across the landscape, making his words a direct visual reference to the harvest standing before them. The saying reveals Jesus' conviction that spiritual opportunity doesn't follow predictable timelines. Readiness, responsiveness, and action. Matter more than waiting for ideal circumstances. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, disciples should pray for workers to be sent into the harvest. That's from Matthew 9:37 and 38 as a bonus. So, friends, how does this apply to my life? How does this apply to our lives? This is what I jotted down. It's easy to become so focused on our own schedules, responsibilities. And even our own needs that we miss the people God's placed right in front of us. Jesus challenged his disciples to lift up your eyes and look. In other words, pay attention. There are people all around us who are searching for hope, truth, and purpose. Let's ask God today to help us see others the way He sees them. It may be a co-worker, a neighbor, a family member, or even a stranger. We shouldn't assume someone else will reach them. Like the woman at the well, our stories of what Jesus has done in our lives may be exactly what God uses to point someone else to Jesus. Today, let's lift up our eyes because the harvest is closer than we think. Come on, friends, would you pray with me? Father God, thank you for speaking to us today through your word. Holy Spirit, help me to lift up my eyes and look at the harvest. There are people all around me, family members, neighbors, friends, our community. They're searching for peace, purpose, and the assurance of a real God. Holy Spirit, give me sensitivity and boldness to share my testimony and point others to Jesus. I ask all this in Jesus' name. Everybody said, Amen. Well, Lakeshore family, as you go about your day, my prayer is that you continue to grow in your love for Jesus and His Word. As you invest time with Him, may He give you fresh insight, strengthen your faith, and guide your steps. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word podcast. I pray you've been encouraged to stay in God's Word and walk closely with the Holy Spirit. God bless you. We'll see you next time. Bye for now.