The police department of Lubang kept on getting reports of a man who was stealing sheep, tools, and other small household items. Many times search parties ventured into the jungle to try and find the culprit only to return empty handed, frustrating the locals. Finally on March 19, they apprehended Hiroo Onoda. Imagine the surprise in discovering that Hirro was a Japanese man who, in 1944, was assigned to Lubang to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Americans during World War 2. He obeyed these orders until his capture in 1972. For 28 years he avoided discovery in the greatest feat of hide and seek ever attempted, harassing the residents of Lubang believing he was carrying out his orders. Lieutenant Onoda lived on this Philippine Island to fulfill a mission that no longer existed.
We, on the other hand, have a mission that is alive and well. Jesus said in Luke 10: 1, 2 that the fields are ripe for the harvest, but there are so few laborers. Few means;
- Not many in number
- Not many many who make time for the mission
- Not many who have a passion for the mission.
We can fall into the trap of playing hide and seek from the mission while the harvest continues to over ripen and fall from the stalk.
We are not beyond hope though. Jesus asked us to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers. The word for this is Ekbello, which means to thrust or move toward a conclusion. We are literally asked to ask God to thrust us into the mission so we can fulfill the purpose of the harvester.
During the month of July, we are asking people to pray this prayer daily. God, send forth laborers into the harvest fields. It’s a prayer that Jesus asked us to pray so it is probably not a good idea to play hide and seek to this command. Join us in praying this simple prayer daily and lets see God raise up more people with time and passion to fulfill this great mission that not still exists, but is vitally important to this generation.