When the Bible talks about sowing and reaping, it can make us think of farmers gathering in the crops that they’ve planted and nurtured. But the idea of sowing and reaping can be applied to so many areas of our lives. We might have a talent for something, and by sowing into it through practice and taking time to refine it, we reap the reward of being able to use that talent for God’s glory, and maybe even of earning a living doing something we love. We sow time into our relationships, and can reap the reward of close, lasting friendship. We might be able to invest money into something, and reap a profit later on. We sow seeds of faith by seeking God and reading His Word, and reap the reward of complete confidence and trust in Him. The idea is that when we sow in faith, and in line with God’s will, we’ll get back more than we put in. Paul says, ‘God loves people who love to give. God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others’ (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 CEV). God wants us to succeed, to have the resources needed to fulfil His will, and help others do the same. But if we’re putting our time and effort into the wrong things, sowing and reaping can work against us. Proverbs 22:8 says: ‘Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster’ (NLT). What have you been sowing into recently? What’s your harvest going to be? Our future begins with what we have right now. Nothing is too little to multiply. Every one of us has received something from God that’s capable of multiplying; the secret is putting it into His hands.

What Now?

Have a think about how you spent your time yesterday. Make two lists – one of the things you spent your time on that could reap rewards and good things, and one of things that might reap negative results. Try to spend less time tomorrow on things on the negative list.