Reaping And Sowing
Galatians 6:7-10 (NLT) 6:7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

I think that we sometimes overlook the basic principles that God has laid before us. A case in point would be the principle of reaping and sowing. We often live our lives with no concern for tomorrow and the consequences that might come our way. God is very clear – for every action there will be a reaction. If we sow good things – we will reap good things. If we sow bad things – we will reap its just reward. The admonition here is that we never let our guard down and that we never stop doing what is right and good. God is watching – always and He sees everything we do and say. He says, “at just the right time – we will reap a harvest of blessing.” Let’s keep our focus on the Lord today and not miss any opportunities to do the right thing. It is the key to sustainable success in the Lord.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 (NLT) 20:1 “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! 2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. 3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. 4 For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’

Every man goes into battle at sometime in their life. It might not be a physical battle as seen in this scripture but it definitely will happen spiritually. There will be enemies that are bigger then you and problems that seem insurmountable. The Lord gives a simple word of encouragement – “Don’t be afraid.” Why? Because God will be with us. We often try and fight our battles with our own strength and end up failing miserably. God simply says, “Let me fight this battle for you. Trust in me and I will take care of you.” That is good battle advice. It’s a sure way to win.

Galatians 2:21 (NLT) I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless…”

This simple but often overlooked scripture has a world of meaning attached to it. Paul says that he doesn’t “treat the grace of God as meaningless.” Other translations say that he doesn’t “frustrate the grace of God” meaning to “make void.” I think that I’ve learned more about God’s grace in the past few years then my whole life. I am a product of God’s grace and I so appreciate what He’s done for me. Everyone has their story but I can honestly say that mine is unique – made just for me. I laid out the plans for my life but God definitely laid out the path for my life. I could have fought it but I have submitted to it with a thankful heart and have seen the benefits on the other side. There have been days, weeks and even months that didn’t make sense to me. Dark clouds rolled in and tried to destroy me in a lot of ways. I cried out to God and prayed for help and deliverance. It came but it didn’t come in the way that many would think but it came in the cloak of adversity. God brought me to such a place that the only thing I could do was to trust Him and His grace for my life. He had to take me to such a place that I didn’t trust in people but in Him alone. If felt like David in Psalms 38:21-22 (NLT) 38:21 Do not abandon me, O LORD. Do not stand at a distance, my God. 22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior. I can honestly say – that God’s grace came through. He did bring me through and He has healed my heart. I know that there are many lessons yet to learn but as for today “I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.”

Galatians 1:10 (NLT) Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

I think one of the greatest struggles a lot of people have is the choice of trying to please man or to please God. Obviously, we would all probably say that we want to please God but our actions in most cases show otherwise. We try so hard to win the approval of people (whose opinion doesn’t really count when it comes to eternal perspectives) rather then to try and please God Almighty whose opinion is the only one that counts in regards to life and eternity. I am guilty also and I have often failed in this area. We must all look at our lives and who it is that we are trying to please. If it is man – then we need to repent and turn to God. If it is God – then we need to do it with all our heart, soul and mind.

Deuteronomy 11:16-17 (NLT) 11:16 “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods. 17 If you do, the LORD’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the LORD is giving you.

I told someone the other day that getting old isn’t for wimps. Every day it seems that I’m dealing with one thing or another physically. One of the things I really don’t like is that my eye sight is not the same. Without glasses I would not be able to function very well on a day by day basis. Spiritually speaking, on the other hand, is just the opposite. My spiritual eyes are becoming more and more focused. I can see things now that I wasn’t able to see before. One of the things that I’m seeing clearer now is how people are so easily deceived. This passage is a simple warning to not let our heart be deceived about worshipping the true God. There are many things vying for our attention. It is easy to get sucked into following little bread crumbs or shiny trinkets that look like truth but are not. It is interesting – It is not always the most obvious things that deceive us but the little things – like how we spend our money or how we spend our time that take us down little rabbit trails that take us away from the presence of God. The warning here is that in doing that we will put a block on God’s blessings in our lives and we will walk away from the favor of the Lord. The admonition is this – Be careful. Make it a high priority to do what is right and follow God with your whole heart, mind and spirit. Take it from someone who’s been around the block for a while – God is a jealous God. He won’t be shared with another.

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NLT) 7:7 “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. 9 Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

What a simple truth today – God set His heart on me and chose me just because He loves me. I am the apple of His eye and He cares so much for me. My journey on life has been very blessed in that I have received many blessings from the Lord. There have also been difficult seasons that I’ve had to endure also. But the thing that I can say without reservation today is this – God is good all the time and His love and mercy has surrounded me and protected me through life. I don’t want to be like some who grow old and are bitter toward everyone and everything. I want to be that man who stands proudly with thanksgiving to God for all that He has done in my generation. I am so thankful and grateful this morning for God’s faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 4:24 (NLT) The LORD your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God.

There are many pictures and descriptions that are given of God but I think this one is a very revealing description of God’s nature. First, He is described as a “devouring fire.” It is consuming and complete. Like a consuming fire He would purify what is precious (just as fire purifies precious metals) and destroy what is worthless. Secondly, He is seen as a jealous God. He will not allow another to have the honor that is due Him alone. Therefore Israel needed to be extremely careful to remember the covenant that was given them. I think that it is extremely important that we don’t forget this image of God. It should weigh upon how we live our life and how we make our decision. It should be the driving point of our conscience. Yes, God is a God of love but He is a God of emotion and passion also.

Mark 11:1-10 (NLT) 11:1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’” 4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. 8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”

I was struck by the phrase – “The Lord needs it.” Here is a “lowly” donkey that is owned by and “unnamed person” that the Lord needs for the work that He was doing. I wonder how many people feel that they don’t have anything to offer – that they are some obscure person without any talent to offer the Lord. We know nothing about the owner and we know nothing about the donkey. Yet, God used both for furthering his kingdom. Are you willing to use what you have? Are you willing to make available your gift to the Lord whether large or small? When Jesus was preaching on the Sea of Galilee the crowds we’re so big that He needed to preach from a boat. One was provided to him and He preached from it. When the crowds we’re hungry He used the lunch from a little boy to multiply it. You might think that you are not the most gifted person in life but consider this: a little in the hands of the Lord is a lot. Give what you have to God and watch how He uses it. You will be SO blessed if you do this.

Mark 10:42-45 (NLT) 10:42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus turns man’s perspective around here. He teaches us that true leadership comes from servant hood and not dictatorship. It comes from giving and not taking. That is just the opposite of what many of us have been taught and modeled in life. Jesus not only taught this but He lived it out by the way He lived. To those who learn this lesson become the type of leader that God can use over and over again. I pray that each and every one of us will take seriously this lesson and begin to serve our community with such a heart of love that people’s lives will be changed. It is then that God’s rich and wonderful blessing will be poured out on our lives.

Mark 9:15-29 (NLT) 9:15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”

It’s frustrating sometimes to see the ineptness of some people in regards to their Christian walk. They know the truth and have accepted Christ in their heart. They even go to church and worship on a regular basis. Yet there is no power and anointing to their lives. It’s almost as if they live their lives in different compartments – the spiritual compartment on Sunday for a few hours only and the flesh compartment the rest of the week. There is so much more for them. They don’t need to live in frustration discouragement and defeat. They use Christ when they need Him but live like the world the rest of the time. It doesn’t have to be that way. The truth is this – A person can have a power filled ongoing walk with the Lord if they just surrender completely to Him. It is the most satisfied place to be – with Christ at the helm of your life. I chose this many years ago and I’m glad I did.