SOWING & REAPING
Sowing is the process of planting seeds. In life, seeds could be anything. In the 6th chapter of II Corinthians, Paul admonished the believers in Achaia to remember their promised contribution, and he encouraged them to do it bountifully. Paul said, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
Sowing and Reaping is a universal law. It does not apply to Believers only. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:9). If you sow corn, you will reap corn. If you sow respect, you will reap respect. If you sow anger, you will reap anger. If you sow discord, you will reap discord.
It is a universal law by God himself. Genesis 8:22 says “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Do you know God had to follow same principle on the earth? God planted his only begotten son in the earth, and he reaped many sons and daughters.
Some truths about Sowing:
Sowing is more difficult than reaping. It requires some planning, diligence, and obedience. It is not an easy task. “But those who sow in tears, shall reap in Joy”. The widow at Zarephath had to give all she had in obedience to the request by Elijah. She was expecting it to be the last, but it was not the last. God allowed a continuous flow beyond what they expected.
Sowing requires faith and risk. It takes faith to obey God in sowing. God spoke to Isaac to sow his child, which he had been praying for. A child promised and fulfilled to him at 100 years. It took a lot of faith and risk to obey. But when he obeyed, he reaped bigger promises and became the father of many nations.
Sowing requires patience. You have to wait for the harvest. James 5:7 says “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” Some cases could be like the Chinese Bamboo tree. It takes 5 years to water, fertilize & nurture but just 5 weeks to get to 90 feet once it buds.
Sowing is directly proportional to Reaping. If you sow little, you reap little. If you sow much, you reap much. In the parable of the talents, the one with the one talent who didn’t sow it, did not reap anything. The other with the two talents, sowed two and reaped another two. The other with five talents, sowed five and reaped another five talents. The one with the two did not reap five.
Even though, Sowing is directly proportional to reaping, but reaping is always much more than what you sowed. The boy with five loaves of bread and two fishes, sowed what he had, and that reaped many baskets of food.
Sowing is personal, Reaping could be generation. David sowed a thought to build a house for God, and for generations the mercy of God will not depart from David’s lineage. Even Jesus came from that lineage.
Sowing is a kind of Thanksgiving. II Corinthians 9:12 says “For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God”. Giving is another way of worship.
What should be our attitude in sowing and reaping?
It is not enough to sow, there are many factors that determine what you reap. There should be:
Careful Sowing: Check the Soil. The Kingdom of God is a great soil. No one sows into God’s Kingdom and remains on the same level. Also, Sow where you expect harvest.
Clean Sowing: Check the Source. A sinner does not have any account in the bank of God. So, investing in God’s Kingdom as a sinner is useless. Make sure your heart is clean, and you have a relationship with God.
Cheerful Sowing: Check the Smile. Make sure your smile is not fake. God loveth a cheerful giver.
Costly Sowing: Check the Sacrifice. Costly is not in the amount, but the sacrifice. Jesus noticed the widow who gave all she had (100%)
Circumspect Sowing: Check the Season. Farmers know when to sow, and when to reap. Timing is very important. Sometimes, God gives us opportunities to sow, and we miss it, including the blessing attached to that sowing. Some people sow into a moment, a message, others sow into a mission. Just don’t miss the timing.
What are the benefits of sowing?
This is not the measure of return for investments in mutual funds, stocks or crypto. These could fail. In God’s economy – it is different. No scam with God.
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again”
Giving attracts Grace!
II Corinthians 9:7 says “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”.
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