GOING TO THE VINEYARDS

GOING TO THE VINEYARDS

“Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves”, exhorts the Shulamite in verse 12 of Chapter 7 in the Song of Songs. Christ and you have to go to the vineyards early. In the early morning, you have to intercede for the persons and the ministers of God planted in your garden or vineyard. In the vineyards, you have to keep a watch over the plants. Along with Christ, you must see whether the vines flourish. If there are some unsaved persons in your garden, it is your responsibility to see that they receive the gospel or the Word. Along with Christ you have to perceive the spiritual growth of the persons concerned. The persons concerned should flourish in your garden. If there are ministers of God in your garden, you should see that they attain greater spiritual strength and are used of God mightily by interceding for them in prayers. The hearts of unsaved persons in your garden have to be prepared for salvation. The ministers of God have to yield the first fruit of souls in the form of “tender grape”. The pomegranates in your garden are those evangelists who perform various evangelistic ministries through the gifts of the Holy Spirit bringing comfort and divine healing to the weary and the sick. As you intercede for these evangelists, they bud forth and produce the fruit of souls through the ministry of signs and wonders. Please note the word “vineyards” in plural. You should not bother only about your own vineyard but also about the vineyards of others. You should pray for these vineyards also, and should have a concern for the growth of the plants in other vineyards also. These days, we find many ministers seeking and coveting the intercessory prayers and the material support of the people of God for their own ministers and not for other ministers.

Abiding in Christ only, you can produce fruits in your garden (John 3:4). Along with Christ only, you have to visit the garden. This means that you ought to be constantly guided by His Word and His Spirit while taking care of the persons planted in your vineyard. Christ is the Gardener and you are His co-worker. You will give your loves to Christ Jesus in the vineyard. It is not love but “loves”. Christ wants your pre-eminent love for Him. Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15) Christ has given you a vineyard, which means a ministry. You can give Him your love as you faithfully do the ministry. It may be a prayer ministry. But you should be faithful to him in doing that ministry.

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