We Reap What We Sow – By Diane Miller
We all know the scriptures about reaping what we sow, not being negative and speaking things that aren’t as though they are; but do we really understand them? I have been reading my devotionals this week and they have all had the same focus and have just confirmed what was already in my spirit. God is so awesome to keep doing that!
In the past, when the devil seemed to be attacking members of this fellowship from every direction, it was after some kind of “negative planting” and we all seemed to reap negative in our lives. I truly believe that God is using this Ministry to bind us together, and with encouragement and praise, we all seem to be blessed. As a wise person told me, planting the negative stuff is like putting a drop of arsenic in water and not thinking it will affect everyone who drinks it…It is only a drop; it can’t affect us all…but it does! The bitterness and unforgiveness in our hearts comes through and it stops the flow of blessings the Father wants to give us all.
We get good in our lives when we plant seeds of praise, encouragement and things that honor God. When we hold onto the bitterness or anger or any other negative emotion instead of laying it at the foot of the cross, we start speaking it out; it may not seem to be bitterness or unforgiveness to us, but that is what our hearts are saying through our words.
I know that in my walk with this ministry, I receive encouragement and when I take that and plant more encouragement, the harvest flourishes. Hosea 10:12 says Sow for yourself according to righteousness; reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you.
God could obviously do anything at any time He wanted to in our lives, but it seems to be His life principle that says ” First you sow, and then you reap.” So it goes to say that if you sow trouble and unforgiveness, you reap the same. Those who sow righteousness reap mercy. Sow obedience to what God tells you and once you passed the test you reap a good harvest. We have certainly witnessed a lot of this in our spouses’ lives – some if not all are reaping trouble.
2 Corinthians 9:6 says Remember this : he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously (that blessings come to someone else) will reap generously and with blessings of righteousness. Be willing to stand the test to enjoy the harvest God promises. His Word says, ” In the morning sow your seed and in the evening withhold not your hands, for you know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6)
When we sow good seed, somewhere down the road of life we will reap good things. But if trials come against us, we shouldn’t try to figure out if it’s because of bad seeds we’ve sown. God says trials will come; so just know that if we obey the Word of God long enough, we will come into the good life that God has prearranged for us to live. God has a good plan; a plan for hope, prosperity and abundance.
Plant purposefully as Galatians 6:7 says; Do not be deceived and misled: God will not be mocked. For whatever a man (woman) sows , that and only that is what they will reap. So choose carefully what you sow through your words and actions and plant only what you want to reap.”For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)
Everything done and everything thought all day long is a chance to sow good seeds or bad ones. What are you sowing? These thoughts can drastically change your life or someone else’s. So start first thing in the morning, be positive, and sow only what you want to come back to you. Be encouraged and plant only good seeds. Leave the bitterness, resentment and any other negative emotion at the feet of Jesus. Do not water then. Stomp them out!! Lord, let the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths be acceptable to you.
I hope this helps and encourages everyone to sow GOOD, GOD things. I believe that praising, speaking positively (even when we don’t FEEL like it), and glorifying God with our actions will bring a great harvest to our lives. Even in the hardest of times, in the middle of our storms, we can plant good seeds and WAIT, and EXPECT to see a great harvest for God’s glory. Let Gods glory shine and His wonders be revealed. Let go and let God! Let go of the past, and forgive. Embrace a “nobody-owes-me-anything” attitude, and enjoy this journey with God. Let Him take you where He wants you to be at this time in your life.