2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14 ESV, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 ESV, Psalm 51:1-19 ESV, Proverbs 22:24-25 ESV
Daily Verse: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV)
THERIZO (2325): “to reap” (akin to theros, “summer, harvest”). In 2 Cor 9:6 (twice), with reference to rendering material help to the needy, either “sparingly” or “bountifully,” the “reaping” being proportionate to the sowing.”[i]
Being proportionate.
“You reap what you sow,” mom said often. How true her and Paul’s words ring. Whatever you give out, you receive back.
Browsing Facebook, I came across a post that struck me:
“If you want a kind sixteen-year-old, teach him kindness at six and give him ten years to practice.” Anonymous
Not knowing today’s verse or the topic, I find God’s timing perfect. We plant at a different time than we reap, and some crops take longer than others to reach their harvest. What we give off, we get back.
Many conversations I’ve had with parents of adult children who don’t attend church, yet the parents don’t either. You’ve got to plant the seeds to get the harvest you want.
Plant intentionally.
To get the crops you want, you must consider what to plant. If you want kindness, cultivate it. Generous people give generously, and angry people feed the anger. But if you decide to plant seeds of virtue, you will get virtuous results in due time.
Just like the six-year-old that requires time to practice kindness, we must give our crops time to grow. Waiting patiently for the fruits of your labor to produce good results allows us to lean into God. When we feel like the harvest takes too long, God reminds us that we operate on His time, not ours.
Seeds multiply; you get an entire stalk full of ears from one seed of corn. Planting seeds of love, grace, and mercy will return them to you tenfold. Resist the urge to plant bitter seeds of hatred and anger; instead, reap the benefits of a harvest planted with the right motives.
Follow Jesus’ example, tap into the Father for strength and guidance, and lead with grace and mercy, planting love everywhere you go. Trust God to water, nurture, and grow what you plant. Reaping well comes from sowing well.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 115) Thomas Nelson
