Stan and I were again at the Twelve Baskets Cafe for breakfast and conversation about our faith. Between bites of the delicious breakfast he was enjoying, Stan asked, “Are you familiar with the idea that we reap what we sow?”
“We reap what we sow? Sure, I’m familiar with that. Why do you ask?”
“Well,” he replied, “earlier this morning during my journaling time I focused on what the apostle Paul wrote about that and was reminded of something a neighbor told me about his first-hand experience with that.”
“First-hand experiences can be useful,” I commented. “What happened with your neighbor?”
“By his own admission,” Stan replied, “he’s not much of a gardener, but he told me that one year he decided to grow some big pumpkins for the neighborhood children to enjoy.”
“That sounds like a good thing,” I said. “How’d it go?”
“Not quite what he had in mind,” Stan replied with a laugh.
“Why? What happened?”
“It seems he went to Norm’s Nursery over on 12th Street and bought some pumpkin seeds without really looking carefully enough. He brought them home and planted them. Pretty soon they started to grow and eventually they produced some pumpkins.”
“That sounds great,” I commented. “Isn’t that what he wanted?”
“Not quite,” Stan replied.
“In what way?”
“There were lots of pumpkins,” Stan said, “but they never grew to be very big. They all were very small, actually tiny.”
“I can see that would be a disappointment,” I commented. “I wonder what happened. Was there something wrong with the soil or the seeds?”
“Nope,” Stan replied. “He planted the wrong kind of seeds. Rather than seeds that would produce big pumpkins, the seeds he bought were for exactly what he got: little pumpkins.”
“So,” I said, “he got what he planted.”
“He did,” Stan replied. “It’s just like my life, your life, and the lives of everyone else. We get what we sow!”
__________________________________
Bible verses to consider:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one sho sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8.
The wicked earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness gets a true reward. Proverbs 11:18.
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for planting in me the truth of your free and gracious provision so I could reap life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Thank you, too, for the truth that what I plant I will also reap. I confess that even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, too often while I remain on this side of eternity I don’t plant in my life why you want me to reap, which is an ever-deepening relationship with you.Please forgive that foolishness and help me follow every step of your lead in planting in my life only what you want me to reap. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Has the truth of God’s provision for you been planted in you so you have life with Him, the life that begins here and will continue forever? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with what you choose to sow and reap in your life? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?
The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does God know you need, not only to have life with Him, both now and forever, but what you need to plant in your life so you reap the abundant life Jesus came to give? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!
Forward to a friend: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?