2 Corinthians 9:6 // Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop, but the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
While most of us did not have the opportunity to grow up on a farm, you would have thought that the Apostle Paul may have. Through many of the letters in the New Testament, he loved to provide life lessons that had to do with planting crops. Especially when conveying the importance of giving our best to God.
When writing to a church in Corinth, Paul shared a blueprint of how our financial giving can be compared to planting seeds. In essence, the seeds we sow have been created by God to reproduce what is inside of it. If we plant orange seeds, we should reproduce orange trees. If we plant lemon or apple seeds, lemon and apple trees are what we will reproduce. No matter how hard we pray for a different kind of fruit to appear, we receive based on the seeds we sow.
Paul also shares that our giving is not just based on what we sow. The more we sow, the more we are able to receive. And the less we sow, the smaller our return. However, what’s great about God’s system of sowing and reaping is that when we give generously, He does as well.
Whenever we give, He is faithful to multiply it. When we give to His Kingdom and to the local church, when we give to those in need, and to do with a cheerful and joyful heart, we are essentially releasing seed as a sower into a ground that will always reproduce greater than what we gave. In fact, when it comes to sowing seed and giving God your very best, here is something you should try saying whenever what you have appears to be too small:
“What’s in my hand is the most it will ever be. But when I give this, when it leaves my hand, it’s the least it will ever be.”
Repeating that simple phrase every time to yourself can help shift you from simply wanting to be blessed, to becoming a blessing for others. When we give generously, our needs will always be taken care of, and best of all, God’s kingdom is expanded.
You and I rarely see or have heard of a farmer complaining about a harvest that hasn’t come in yet. He doesn’t get weary and he doesn’t quit, because He understands what due season is all about. The same needs to be true for us. When we sow our best, and have not seen a return yet, there’s no need for discouragement. We simply need to keep sowing.
Your due season will come. Keep sowing, growing and giving. And watch for a harvest that is far beyond what was in your hand.
Day 19 of 21 Days of Prayer
*This devotional is from A God First Life, written by Pastors Michael and Charla Turner
