Day 110: The Time is Now! (SoS 2:13c)

The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away! (Song of Songs 2:13) 

After the Beloved describes the changing times, giving her seven indications of spring, he speaks to her again to rise up and follow. Again he uses terms of endearment and reaffirms her beauty and identity. This time, however, there was an urgency in his words that was not there the first time He asked her to come away. This urgency is indicated by the exclamation mark at the end of the verse.

Spring is about timing. As spring progresses, uncultivated plants will not yield as much harvest as they should. Wild grapes for example though edible are usually sour, unlike cultivated ones. Wild figs are also said to be small and flavorless, unlike sweet cultivated figs. 

As time progresses, as the Lord reaffirms us and reveals our identity, He communicates increasing urgency of the harvest through the Holy Spirit to every believer in some way or another. It may come through a preacher, a book, social media, or by the voice or nudging of the Holy Spirit within. 

In Revelation 12 after the great war in heaven that ended in the devil and his fallen angels being cast down to the earth, a voice in heaven said:

 And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left.” 

The devil works hard. From the moment he fell, he has been working hard. Day and night, he fights for the souls of men. his time is short because Christ's return is imminent. We must realize the urgency of the times we live in. We must arise now! Step into the harvest and do our part for our beloved.

In Romans 8:19-25, Paul wrote about how even the whole of creation is waiting for the unveiling of the sons of God (which we said in Lesson 108 is one of the signs of the latter rain). When the sons of God appear, the last great harvest will happen. The Lord of the Harvest, our Father the Husband will come to reap the fruits of the earth.

So this is a call to not just step out into the harvest, but also to cultivate our vines and figs, continually maturing as sons of God

Paul goes on to say in Romans 8 that in the same way creation groans, we groan within ourselves awaiting the hope of the Lord's coming. Most importantly, he stated in verses 26 and 27 that the Holy Spirit groans within us in prayer and intercession. Verse 28-30 say we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son. In essence, prayer is essential for our maturation.

Intercessory prayers for the unsaved prepare and equip us for the harvest. Men must be won first on our knees before they are convicted by our message. Prayer also cultivates our gifts and fruits (mature as sons of God). Prayer is the most essential task for the harvest. If we pray consistently and intensely for the souls of men, we will begin to share His urgency and have the passion and confidence to go into all the world and preach the risen Christ.

Although urgent, our Beloved Jesus' call is not impatient. Even as the children of God groan in anticipation of His coming (because for everyone saved it is not an expectation of judgment but glorification), many do not believe in the Lord's coming anymore because they think He is delaying. 2 Peter 3:8-9 (The Passion Translation) says:

 So, dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape your notice: a single day counts like a thousand years to the Lord Yahweh, and a thousand years counts as one day. This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.  

As He said in Revelation 2:12, He is coming quickly. Day after day, we must bear in mind His coming. We must arise and take our place in prayer and in the harvest fields. As we await His return, many people face eternal damnation every dbvay. Now is the time to arise and go over the mountains and hills with our Beloved. The world is ripe for harvest.

PRAY WITH ME:

Dear Father, I ask today that Your Holy Spirit will grant me grace for earnest prayer. Let my heart awaken to the urgency of the time we live in. Grant me boldness and utterance to make the gospel known to men. Help me conform to Christ's image. In Jesus' name. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:

• Do you have a time to pray and intercede for the lost?
• Do you have a personal evangelism plan?
• How are you awaiting the Lord's return?
• Read and ponder Romans 8:18-30, Revelation 22:12, and 2 Peter 3.