m2oDevotionals

Friday, 9 September 2011

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Seed time and harvest

[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings.

Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving].

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].

As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever!

And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 [AMP]

 

In the passage above, Paul is applying the principle of sowing and reaping established by the Lord, at the beginning, in Genesis 1 vs 11 and 8 v 22.  This is New Testament.  It is a principle we can learn from farmers. They watch seasons, they prepare the land, they plant by faith, they have patience to wait, and whilst waiting for the harvest, they do not keep on “breaking up and harrowing the soil”. And who taught the farmers?  The Lord Almighty who is wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom (Isaiah 28 vs 23 – 29).

 

You have sown your prayers. You have sown your words i.e. spoken to the mountains in your life. You have sown your money to bless people and to preach the gospel and you have done this out of love first for your God and secondly for your neighbour who doesn’t know Jesus Christ and who does not have food, shelter, clothing, etc.

 

As you wait for your harvest which God has promised above (not me!), do not break and harrow the soil again. Don’t say I have spoken to the mountains but they are not moving. Because of this recession, I am finished. I have been praying for years but God does not answer me.  Quit murmuring. Rather, pray more for your faith not to fail in times of trials and temptations. Encourage yourself in the Lord. Give Him praise, for His goodness, tender mercies and loving kindness that endures for ever. Soon, the little seed sown in faith (when the skies were blue) will break through the surface. 

 

To those who eat all their harvest, stop it! Set aside some seed and sow in the Kingdom. Remember God is the One that sets the season for us to sow, not us. It is His instructions that we follow. Let us make the choice to follow whatever He says even if it does not seem to make sense. And let us do this ONLY through faith activated by love.

 

Farai Mutsambiwa

 

 

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 106:1–15, Isaiah 14:1-16:14, 2 Corinthians 9:6–15


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