You Reap What You Sow

Back in March, my husband and I planted a garden in our backyard. Well, I shouldn’t say “I,” because he actually planted, while “I” watched. And why “I” was the one who ended up with poison ivy and not him, is still an itching mystery to me.

Needless to say, our garden didn’t make it. Some say it’s because it was such a hot summer, and that might be the case. At any rate, it’s fall and we’re going to try it again. Yes, we’re about to plant a fall garden, and hopefully and prayerfully, this time we will reap a harvest.

When I think of the process of planting a tiny seed and then watching it grow and mature, it’s a fascinating concept. And, not only can we relate the principle of planting and harvesting to a garden, but we can apply the same principle to our very lives, our everyday lives.

Believe it or not, every decision you make is like a seed, and that seed is going to produce a harvest, a consequence. Be careful what you plant because it’s going to come up!

Wherever you are right now in life; whatever position you're in, it’s a result of the seeds you’ve planted; the choices and decisions you’ve made in life. We’re all in a place where we’re reaping something we’ve sown in the past.

Here are a few tips for the planting season.

1. Examine the ground. Make sure the ground you plant on is good, healthy, fertile ground. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me “ (Psalm 51:10).

2. Try to plant seeds that have been tested and proven to bear good, healthy fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

3. Don’t get impatient and take matters into your own hands when your seeds don’t produce a harvest within your time frame. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

Use these tips to make better choices for yourself. Know what God expects from you and plant accordingly. Plant good seeds on good ground and watch what the Lord does in your life!