Monday Read: October 26 - Five Days Remaining

Five days left. October 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Then it's over. November begins. October becomes history. These final five days are all the October you're getting. Use them or lose them.

Paul wrote to the Galatians: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people" (Galatians 6:9-10). Notice the two conditions for harvest: proper time and not giving up. You can't control when harvest comes. You can control whether you're still working when it arrives.

Imagine a farmer who plants in April, tends crops through summer, but quits in late September because October harvest seems too far away. Five more days of work would bring the harvest he labored for all season. But he gives up five days too early and loses everything he invested.

That's what happens when you quit in October's final days. You've invested twenty-six days in the month. Quitting now wastes all that investment. Five more days of faithful effort might produce the breakthrough you've been working toward. But only if you don't give up.

Consider Peter's fishing experience. He'd fished all night and caught nothing. Exhausted and discouraged, he was washing nets when Jesus told him to go out and let down nets for a catch. Peter objected: "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything" (Luke 5:5). Translation: I'm tired, it's pointless, I want to quit.

But Peter added: "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." One more attempt. One more effort when everything said to quit. The result? "They caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break" (Luke 5:6). The harvest came precisely when Peter was ready to give up.

Five days remain in October. You're tired. The month didn't produce what you expected. Progress seems minimal. The temptation is quitting. But what if the harvest is scheduled for October 30? What if breakthrough comes on October 31? You won't know unless you keep going.

Don't let weariness make decisions. Tired people make poor choices. They quit too early, give up too easily, abandon too quickly. Rest when you need rest. But don't use tiredness as excuse to quit five days before the end.

What would "not giving up" look like for these five days? Not heroic effort or superhuman strength. Just showing up. Doing the next right thing. Continuing practices you've maintained. Not quitting what you've started. Five more days of ordinary faithfulness.

The farmer doesn't quit five days before harvest because he's confident those five days matter. You should apply the same logic. These five days matter. Maybe more than any previous days this month. Keep working. Don't give up. Harvest comes to those who persevere until the proper time.