THE LAW OF THE HARVEST

KEY/LAW OF THE HARVEST or the Law of Sowing and Reaping Gen. 8:22 Gen.8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night shall not cease.”

2 Cor 9:6-11 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Gal 6:7-9 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Heb 12:11-13 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. James 3:18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. When God created the first living thing, He gave it the ability to grow and multiply. How? Through the principle of seed and harvest. Your life began by this principle, and since your birth your life has operated by this same principle. Harvest springs from the good or bad seeds you have sown, whether or not you were consciously aware of your seed-planting. The principle continues today. To overcome life’s problems, reach your potential in life, see your life become fruitful, multiplied, replenished (that is, in health, finance, spiritual renewal, family—your entire being), determine to follow God’s law of seedtime and harvest. God has established spiritual laws, principles-invisible forces-that govern every issue of life. These spiritual laws are unchanging. While our circumstances, relationships, finances, or employment will change from time-to-time, spiritual laws that govern and impact us remain constant. Ignoring or complying with these spiritual laws will bring either blessings or curses into our lives. As our spiritual maturity grows in the Lord, we will discover the circumstances we face today were actually determined weeks, months, or even years ago by the decisions and choices we made then. Likewise, today's decisions will determine our spiritual strength in the near or distant future. WHEN WE PLANT, WE HARVEST The greatest spiritual law is the LAW OF THE HARVEST. It simply says that when we plant, we harvest. Conversely, unless we plant, we will not harvest. The LAW OF THE HARVEST is not about money, as some have portrayed it. It is about harvest and the multiplication of God's Kingdom. Often what is returned to us does not come directly from the person to whom we gave. It comes from unimagined and unanticipated sources. Thus, it is God's mysterious way of multiplying His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God expands by sowing seeds. No matter what you give, more will be given to you. If you give mercy, you will receive mercy. If you offer forgiveness to those who have offended you, you will reap forgiveness. With the same measure that you give to others, it will be given back to you (Luke 6:36-38). In fact, more will be returned to you. When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored Job's losses, giving him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). When he gave of his time, energy, and resources to pray for his friends, Job received a double harvest of everything. SMALL OFFERINGS MULTIPLIED The LAW OF THE HARVEST was employed when Jesus took a boy's meager provision of seven loaves and three fish and multiplied them to feed 5,000 people. Even today, the Lord takes our small offerings and multiplies them to touch and feed thousands. The LAW OF THE HARVEST is also true in human relationships. When we sow kindness into a friendship, we receive friends (Proverbs 18:24). It is also true in the expansion of the God's Kingdom. When Cornelius sowed prayers and alms, it resulted in the "good news" of Jesus being released to the entire Gentile world (Acts 10). Now that was an investment with tremendous dividends! The LAW OF THE HARVEST also operates in education. Those who teach learn more than their students. As a teacher sowing into the lives of students, God has multiplied my understanding of the truths I am teaching. I honestly believe that I benefit more than my students. Furthermore, my investment of time and energy is multiplied in my life, our ministry, and hopefully in advancing God's Kingdom. GOD'S HARVEST LAW IN ALL OF CREATION God has woven the LAW OF THE HARVEST into all of creation. It permeates the laws of physics and particle exchange. Simply put in scientific terms, it is the exchange of positive and negative charges in an atom that forms the building blocks to everything we see. Negative charges bond to positive charges, thereby creating matter. In a similar way, when we give, we create a negative charge (a reduction of what we are or have). By God's design, this negative charge shouts out for and attracts a positive charge (an addition of what we are or have). By God's grace, we acquire a greater total mass in the end. Said in scientific terms, true spiritual life is an energy exchange of giving and receiving. The act of giving requires faith that God is loving, good, and gives gifts to His children. By rewarding our giving, God teaches us the value of giving, and thereby, imparts His character to us. THE LIFE OF JESUS, A SEED SOWN INTO HARVEST The LAW OF THE HARVEST is even portrayed in the death of Jesus. He said that His life was a seed that when sown would produce the harvest of the Kingdom (John 12:23-24). Whatever we give (time, prayer, mercy, forgiveness, love, tenderness, patience, or even money), it will be given back to you with dividends. God will lavish it upon you in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over (Luke 6:38). Of course, this verse is talking about judgment, but the principle applies.For in the justice of God, what you sow will be given back to you in greater abundance. Remember, it is the LAW OF THE HARVEST-not the size of the seed-that multiplies the Kingdom of God. Sowing and Reaping The Law of Sowing and Reaping What is the law of sowing and reaping? The law of sowing and reaping is mentioned in several Scripture passages (Job 4:8; Hosea 8:7; 10:12). But the primary text is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart i doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:7-9). This passage teaches that each of us is a “sower” who will reap the harvest of his own planting. If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap a harvest of blessing. If you sow to the flesh, you will reap a harvest of sorrow and adversity. What does it mean to sow to the Spirit? The immediate context of Galatians 6 gives several examples of sowing to the Spirit. When you bear another’s burdens, you are sowing to the Spirit (6:2). Sowing is more than money but when you financially support ministries (good soil) you are sowing to the Spirit. The larger context of the book of Galatians teaches us many ways to sow to the Spirit. Obedience to Scripture is sowing to the Spirit. Expressing Christ-like attitudes is sowing to the Spirit. To manifest love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control is to sow to the Spirit (5:22-23). To be led by the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit is sowing to the Spirit (5:16, 25). When you choose to forgive and not harbor resentful feelings, you are sowing to the Spirit. When you bring your imagination and thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ, you are sowing to the Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). When you refuse to tell something negative about another person (even though it is true!), you are sowing to the Spirit. Each time you speak the truth, honor your word, pay your bills, offer praise to God for His goodness, you are sowing to the Spirit. What does it mean to sow to the flesh? Paul lists many practices that illustrate sowing to the flesh. Such things as marital unfaithfulness, sexual impurity, indecency, sensuality, involvement with the occult, hatred, quarrels, fits of temper, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and allowing other things to take God’s place in our life are ways one sows to the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). Sowing to the flesh begins in the thought-life. Every time you hold a grudge, entertain an impure fantasy, wallow in self-pity, speak ill of another person, or fail to carry out your responsibilities through procrastination or laziness, you are sowing to the flesh. To be self-centered, critical of others, or envious of others is sowing to the flesh (Galatians 5:15, 26). What are the ultimate results of reaping what we sow? Paul states that if you sow to the flesh, you will of the flesh reap corruption. “Corruption” speaks of physical decay and moral rottenness that ultimately leads to eternal death in Hell. If you sow to the Spirit, you will of the Spirit reap life everlasting. The essence of everlasting life is to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son (John 17:3; 1 John 5:11). As believers, we will enjoy this relationship throughout eternity on the New Earth. What if you fully reaped for all your sins? but Jesus paid the price for that. God is gracious and full of mercy. He does not continue to punish His children for past sins. Yes, there will be reaping in this present life: some sins lead to disease and other sins destroy marriages and families. The Christian is not exempt from the law of sowing and reaping. But God is not adding up all your past sins and making sure you pay for all of them. He forgives sin. He deals with His children in love. Even when He chastens them, (by His Word) He is doing so in order to bring them back to a right relationship with Him (Hebrews 12:9-12). What are some principles of the law of sowing and reaping? You reap WHAT you sow. If you sow wheat, you will reap wheat. If you sow a kindness, you will reap a kindness. If you sow a lie, unfaithfulness, or discord, you will reap the same. The warning, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” behooves you to be very careful what you sow. You reap in a DIFFERENT SEASON than you sow. Notice that Galatians 6:7 starts by saying, “Do not be deceived.” Why does Paul begin with this warning? The answer is found in the fact that your reaping does not come immediately after you act. Because of this, you can be deceived into thinking that the reaping will not come. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.” If you could see the long-term results of your choices, you would always sow to the Spirit. The harvest comes in God’s time—His appointed season. An example of this is seen for the Hebrew nation in the Old Testament. What are some implications of the law of sowing and reaping? What you are tomorrow will depend on what you do today. Right now you are making choices that will affect the rest of your life. It is imperative that you sow good seeds of obedience. In the future, they will bloom into a harvest of righteousness, not just for you, but also for your children and grand-children. As the saying goes, “Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” It is easy to become discouraged in doing good. The harvest often seems a long way off. But you must remind yourself of the importance of perseverance. God promises that you will reap if you don’t give up.