Sowing the Seed

Changes of seasons in our lives or moving on with God can come with ferocity. Sometimes we find ourselves on the next step, unsure how we got there. Other times we fight with everything we have to get there. We must be willing to fight. The more Satan sees something crucial on that next step, the more he will fight you. Why does God allow such warfare? Sometimes God uses the fight to strengthen muscles we'll need at that next level. If yesterday's wimp is going to become tomorrow's warrior, something has to happen today.

In Psalm 126:5-6, it says Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves. Notice it says that those who sow in tears WILL reap with shouts of joy. You and I will never endure a season of tears that can't turn into a harvest of joy.

Beth talks about going to Angola and one of the frustrating things to people trying to help these people is that when they are given seed, they often eat the seed rather than planting it and bringing forth the harvest.

Why do some people see the results of the Word (seed) and others don't? Why do some study the word of God yet remain in their captivity?

Some just eat the seed and never sow it for a harvest. Examples? Why have many of us heard hundreds of messages on freedom, done every line of bible studies, wept over them, been blessed by them, and even memorized parts of them, yet remain in captivity? Because we ate the seed isntead of sowing it. Why have many of us read books on forgiving people, known the teachings were true and right, cried over them, marked them up with our highlighters, yet remain in our bitterness? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it. Why have we repeatedly heard how Christ has forgiven our sinful pasts and sobbed with gratitude over the grace of it, yet we remain in bondage to condemnation? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it.

Sometimes we don't even realize the difference. We'll think we accepted the teaching because we were so moved by it. But you see, the seed of God's word can fill our stomachs and give us immediate satisfaction and still not produce a harvest - that's when we eat it but don't sow it. Many times we apply biblical truth to our theologies without applying it to the actual practicalities of life.

God's word is meant to be applied to our reality. We can "Amen!" the pastor as he preaches sacrificial love. We can walk to the car and comment on the great sermon he gave, drive home, and march in as mean and cold as the person who pulled out of the driveway. We decide surely God did not mean us to apply His truth to OUR reality because He knows how difficult this or that person is to love. What just happened? We ate the seed instead of sowing it.

Many of us will eat the seed instead of sowing it. Then we charge God with unfaithfulness when we don't get the harvest He promised. God repeatedly says that a harvest is sown, not eaten as seed. We have to get down on our knees in the hardship of our circumstances and apply God's word to the most difficult places, believing God will bring a harvest. Forgiving others, for instance, is a beautiful theology but a difficult reality. Those who apply it have a harvest for the rest of their lives. We were meant to eat from the sheaves, not from the seeds.

Sowing the seed of God's word in a terribly difficult situation is not easy. But God promises you that if you do, you will receive a harvest. And not just any harvest but a harvest worth shouting hallelujah about!



I got all this from day 4 of week 3 in Beth Moore's bible study "Stepping Up".