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Romans 1:13

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

Paul writes his brief explanation for not being able to come to Rome sooner. We don’t know how long Paul had been promising to come to Rome, and we are aware he had friends in Rome (some are listed in Ch. 16). They may have been pleading with Paul to come and minister there as soon as he could. What is the harvest the Paul wants to have among the Romans? Although harvest could refer to money to fund his missionary journey to Spain, it is more likely that he is referring to a spiritual harvest; the building up of the Christians and preaching of the Gospel. The last clause in the verse ‘as I have had among the other Gentiles’, gives indication that Paul saw the Roman church as a Gentile church, even though many times in the letter Paul is giving teaching to the Roman Jews. From v.1 we know that reaching the Gentiles was Paul’s God-given commission.

ASK YOURSELF: When was the last time you saw a real harvest in your Church? What makes an effective, long lasting, continual harvest?

Dear God, please give myself strength; please give my local Pastors strength; please give Pastors around the world strength to always be reaching out to the lost without a regard for their personal desires for achievement and earthly comfort. Amen.