Sowing & Reaping
Sowing & Reaping
Gal 6:7 :9 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap........
The idea of sowing & reaping has often been spoken of in modern preaching to do with money. However, the Bible does not associate this principle only with money but with everything in life. One can sow in worship of God, words, deeds, money, time and effort. All of these things can be in small or large portions. Yet, what a man sows he will also reap. In a Biblical sense, sowing has to do with the word of God. When the devil sowed pride he reaped eternal death. When Adam & Eve sowed disobedience they reaped death as well but with a twist. God is not a respecter of persons. When we use the word in understanding, falsity, or misunderstanding it has consequences & rewards. If one uses the word of God deceitfully or for gain they will suffer the consequences. If one sows through misunderstanding they will not reap from what they sow (though the seed is good) and their expectation will be cut off. Yet, if one sows the word of God in understanding, this person is blessed beyond words.
It is important to understand this principle in the right context because where strife is, there is every evil work. Sowing should not be a difficult task. The process in sowing involves obtaining the seed (word of God), preparing the soil, sowing the seed, watering the seed, letting the seed die and nurturing the tender plant till it grows and is ready for harvest (these are the steps to soul saving). When what you sow becomes ready for harvest it is reaping time. To reap, one must go out at the right time, reap the harvest and store it up according to the purposes for which it was reaped. Then one must retain some of the harvest as seed for the next time when sowing is required.
To put it in context concerning the use of words, if one has studied the word of God and has understood it, then they are equipped with the seed. Now they must find the good soil and prepare it to sow the word. This could mean sowing to anyone who comes across our path in life or it could be sowing in preaching from the pulpit in Churches or cell groups or stages in crusades. Once equipped, if the seed remains dormant in your heart and in your mouth, it will not bear fruit. The seed must die. That means you must have faith to speak out the word in season and out of season. This is dying to yourself, your fears, objections, doubts and misgivings about whether the word you speak will bear fruit. The Bible teaches the following about such misgivings. Ecc 11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. Rather the Bible encourages us to do the following Ecc 11:6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. The Bible also encourages to step out in faith. Ecc 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Bread can be translated as the word of God or anything that is going to give life to a situation or need. For example; if you sow some money today to the needy like the orphans and widows, it will definitely return to you at the appropriate time. Or, if you meet a need of a person in prison or some other person in anyway where the return for your investment in time, effort and money is not visible, you can be assured that your Father in heaven sees and will reward you accordingly. This is the principle of sowing in faith and reaping in faith. When you reap you will receive a nudge from the Holy Spirit telling you that it was the return for what you sowed. It
becomes a pressed down shaken together and overflowing measure which is placed in your bosom by God. God is no one's debtor.
What one must be careful about when sowing is sowing with wrong intentions and motivations. Heb 4.12 says that the word of God is sharper than a two edged sword that discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. So whether you sow in worship to God or in deed to man, you must be extremely careful that it is done with the right heart attitude. What we do for God or for man is done out of an understanding that it is done because we owe God a debt we cannot pay. Without Him nothing we do or say is valid. So sowing and reaping must be done with the right heart attitude. God says; 'many call me Lord, Lord but do so without conviction'. Then there are others who do things for another in the hope of gaining something in return. Then there are others who will hold you to debt over what they have done for you and never let you forget it. All these intentions and motivations are repulsive to God.
God expects you to be a cheerful giver in everything. Many ask another their need before fulfilling it. Yet, God says, if you see a need and you do not fulfil it, it is sin to you. Jesus said; "I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was in prison and you did not visit me. Instead you have come to me with all your feathers in the cap of healing, deliverance and winning of souls. I do not know you, depart from me". My friends let us not have to ask someone if they have a need, instead, let us fulfil the need by knowing it through our spiritual and natural senses. It may not always be appreciated or even accepted but when you step out in faith God sees and honours that faith. The challenge is to sow toward the one who is unloved and the one who is loved. Do not see abundance in a person and turn away your hand from sowing to that person. That person is there to bless you in return. This is a King's portion.
There was this time when God asked me to befriend a Christian lady in the Gold Coast when I lived there. She was well off financially. Yet, she was unloved and felt it. She was misunderstood and bitter with life and found it difficult to interact with other Christians. So, I did what God asked me to do. She immediately asked me what I needed in the way of money but wanted me to ask her for my needs as she knew I lived by faith. I said;" I will never ask you".
As time went by I continued to befriend her with no expectation of any return. She returned money to me in excess of $25,000 without my asking. In one single cheque she gave me $20,000. This is the power of sowing without expectation of return other than from God. You must expect a return from God. No farmer goes out to sow his seed without expectation of a return. God is waiting to bless you in many ways according to your sowing. Each seed will bear its own kind of fruit. This is the clue to understanding reaping out of what you have sowed. Finally, when you sow you will reap according to God's provision. You can sow one seed and reap much fruit or you can reap just one fruit. That is according to the type of seed. God gives it increase; some 30, 60 or a hundredfold.
I encourage you to sow in worship unto God, in love of Him and others, in joy, in giving of your time and effort and finally of your money. You will reap according to Deut 1.11 Be blessed according to the Abrahamic covenant
With love - Pastor Noble