Reaping & Sowing

The Lord made it very plain in the New Testament that believers cannot escape reaping the kind of harvest they sow. We cannot hide our sin; we will not get away with it. The secrets of the night are not hidden from God. Theodore Epp

Have you ever thought of the type of seed you sow every day?  I think about it often because I don’t always sow good seed.  If we look at our lives as a farmer sowing seed this is how it would work. 

I might go to a gardening catalog and purchase seeds or go to a nursery to buy young plants.  If I want to produce an abundant harvest, I wouldn’t just wait until the seeds or plants are delivered.  I would go out and start up my tractor and plow the field in preparation for the planting. 

When we planted lavender we didn’t have the type of soil that is conducive to growing lavender so we amended the soil.  We have clay soil so we had to smooth the surface in order to plant.  We used a harrow to break down the clumps of clay.  This meant driving around and around the field dragging the harrow behind the tractor over and over again until we had a smooth surface to plant.  

I might then stake out where I want the seeds or plants to go.  In our case lavender has to be planted three feet apart.  The reason for this is the plants will get quite large so they need space to grow. 

We then make a mix of the right types of soil that will help the plants thrive or in other words produce a good harvest. I might also add fertilizer and then water.  All of these things have to happen before I even put the plants or seeds in the ground.

When I apply this to my daily life some of the same preparation is required.  If I want to reap a good harvest for the Lord I must prepare.  So I turn to God’s Almanac the Bible.  This will tell me everything I need to do to reap a good harvest.  It tells me what seeds to plant, (truth), how to cultivate the soil, (love), and it even tells me how to water, (Living Water).  If I don’t use all of these in the process I won’t reap a thing. 

Sometimes I sow bad seed.  If I lie, cheat, steal, use anger without love, and any number of other things against God’s will, I am sowing bad seed.  The sad part is what I reap can last for generations.  Then instead of plowing the field with the harrow, I decide to leave the clods.  This is like thinking that the sin in my life will stay hidden.  If the clod stays there no seed can be planted.  It is like walking out to the unplowed field and throwing the seed in every direction and hoping they will grow.  If there are weeds in your field they will choke out everything else, even the good seed. Sin becomes our weeds. 

What type of seeds are you planting?  Is it beneficial to the growth of your friends, children, neighbors?  Maybe like me, you need to study the Almanac, pull some weeds and water the plants.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of planting bad seed.  I am also guilty of not being prepared when it comes time to plant the seed.  Remind me that I must meditate on Your Word in order to reap a good harvest for Your kingdom.  I will not be able to do that if I don’t spend time with You.            

Scripture: “Remember now, whoever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His anger they are consumed.  Job 4:7-9

Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:6-8