What Jesus Did! 'What Joy at the Harvest' — John 4:36-38

Friday, March 20, 2026

[Jesus continued,] "The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, 'One plants and another harvests.' And it's true. I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest."
— John 4:36-38 NLT

Key Thought

When people come to Christ, when they repent and turn their lives from sin, there is joy. This change is the joy of God's harvest. For the vineyard owner, the joy of the harvest is the fresh taste of ripe grapes, it is the sweet juice running down his chin, and it is the joy of a full harvest. For the planter, it is the dusty smell of grain as it runs through his fingers, the heaviness of bags of freshly milled flour, and the smell of baking bread. For the gardener, it is the sweet taste of fresh vegetables bursting with flavor. For those of us in the Kingdom, it is the wet embrace of one newly baptized, it is the cry of "Hallelujah!" from each friend who has prayed for that moment, and it is the celebration of angels as the lost have been brought home to God. The harvest is about joy! Let's anticipate, pray, and work for the great harvest of God!

Today's Prayer

O dear Father, God of heaven and earth, please let me experience the joy of your harvest in my day like in the days written about in the book of Acts. Make this the day of salvation, and make me one of your instruments of the harvest. In the name of the Lord of the harvest, Jesus the Redeemer, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Sharing in the Joy!
Article by Phil Ware
O God, please, will you let me see a little harvest... Please! Phil Ware takes into John 4 and Samaria with Jesus and let's Jesus speak to us about the sower and the harvester rejoicing together.
A Dry Time
Article by Tom Norvell
Who around you needs more than just a drink? Tom Norvell talks about a spiritually dry time, when there seems to be a void in our souls and spiritual life seems difficult and he reminds us of the woman at the well in John 4 and how Jesus gave her much more than water and how she shared this water wi

Illustration

Illustration of John 4:36-38 NLT — "The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life."

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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