A HARVEST TIME OF JOY

"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart Psalm 97:11.

Now God promises to bless His people with both outward and inward peace. It would be a sad place to have quiet streets but the cutting of throats inside our homes. Yet it would be even worse to have peace both in our streets and houses but war in our guilty consciences. Therefore Christ purchased the peace of pardon to obtain peace of conscience for His forgiven ones; and then He willed it to us in the promise: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you" John 14:27. There He both writes and executes His own will-- to give out with His hands what His love has bequeathed to believers. There is no fear, then--His will shall be performed to the fullest, seeing that He lives to get that done by the power of His Spirit.

"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart" Psalm 97:11. It is planted in the believer when principles of grace and holiness are dropped into it by the Spirit of God. Thus it is called "the peaceable fruit of righteousness" Hebrews 12:11. It sprouts up as naturally from holiness as any fruit does from seed of its own kind. It is true that this seed ripens into fruit sooner in some than it does in others-- spiritual harvest does not take place at the same time in everyone. But here is the security-- whoever has a seed-time of grace in his heart will also have this harvest-time of joy.

God would not be keeping His promise if even one saint should go without his reaping time. "He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" Psalm 126:6.  Now if you think the Gospel might be defective because a certain Christian's peace has not matured, know this-- it is on the way, and when it does come it will be everlasting. Do not focus on how the saint begins but how he ends. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace 
Psalm 37:36.

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617