By David Adenodi PhD
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7
This is a promise of God. Today, many choose only to believe the promises of God concerning prosperity, eternal life, and good health. They misunderstand the laws of God concerning sowing and reaping. When Christians suffer trials and tribulations, many times they are suffering fruits of the sin they have sown in their lives. Most Christians understand this in the lives of the unsaved, but because they have come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, they believe that the law of sowing and reaping does not pertain to them.
Today, when it comes to suffering, obedience, dying to self and the old selfish nature, most Christians turn away and say, “This is not the God we serve.” They continue to sow to their flesh — and of their flesh they shall reap corruption, Galatians. 6:8.
When we sow seeds of corruption, those seeds bring forth an abundant harvest in our lives. They will not only bring forth but will bring forth abundantly. Many forget the laws of multiplication: “A farmer never sows a single seed expecting to reap a single seed.” God, in His design of the seed, has provided that every seed bring forth abundantly.
We are informed in the book of Genesis:
“And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Genesis. 1:12
God designed every seed to produce after its kind. That which is sown will produce what is sown. When we plant a seed of corn we harvest or reap, corn. It will not only produce itself but will produce itself abundantly.
Some Christians look at their diseases and circumstances and are perplexed that their prayers for healing and deliverance seem to fall on deaf ears. They do not understand that their trials are a result of seed sown with the natural law of multiplication, increasing their harvest of woes.
Christians should tremble with fear when the thought of committing willful sin comes into their mind. They do not see little “pet” sins as seriously as God does, nor do they understand the consequences in this life of harbouring those “little” sins in their hearts. Secret sins can keep you from the promises and greatness available to you in Christ. God’s promises are predicated on our obedience to His Word and His voice.
In all areas of our lives, what we sow will bring forth a harvest. Many sow seeds with their mouth that bring forth a multiplied harvest of sickness, grief, and destruction. Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs: ”Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21
The words we speak can bring forth death or life. There is power in our words. Yet, many Christians have “diarrhoea of the mouth”, with no regard as to what they speak or what seeds they are sowing by their tongue.
Jesus revealed: “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36
The seeds that we sow with our mouths will produce fruit. ”Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:17-20
When David sinned with Bathsheba, he planted much and reaped the harvest of his sin the rest of his life. In taking Bathsheba, David committed adultery. Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, who was one of David’s mighty men. David had Uriah killed. David added to the spirit of adultery, the spirit of murder.
The harvest of adultery came when Ammon, David’s son, raped Tamar, David’s daughter. The harvest of the spirit of murder was manifested when David’s son, Absalom, had Ammon, Absalom’s brother, killed.
David, with his mouth, pronounced his judgment. When God sent Nathan, the prophet, to point out David’s sin with Bathsheba, Nathan related to David about a poor man who had one ewe lamb which a rich man killed. Then David, thinking this terrible offence had happened in his kingdom, proclaimed: ”As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold…” II Samuel 12:5-6
Nathan then told David: ”Thou art the man . . . Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from thine house.” II Samuel 12:7-10.
The seed of destruction David sowed in his household would cost him, four sons. He was required to pay fourfold as his mouth had spoken. These four sons were:
1 The baby son conceived in adultery.
2 Ammon, murdered by Absalom.
3 Absalom, killed by Joab, David’s nephew.
4 Adonijah, killed by the order of Solomon.
David had twenty sons and had he said to Nathan, “Let that man pay twenty-fold,” it would have cost him every son he had. It was said of David that he died an old, old man at seventy, I Chronicles 29:28.
The seeds that we sow do not always sprout and bear fruit at once. Sometimes those seeds lay dormant for years and, when the conditions are right, they sprout and bear fruit. In David’s life, it took many years for the seeds he planted in the sin with Bathsheba to bear fruit.
David’s sin brought separation between him and God. He knew the penalty for sin. David cried out before the Lord: ”Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:11. David did not want to lose the presence of the Holy Spirit and become a castaway as did his predecessor Saul, or as his original parents, Adam and Eve. David’s heart was broken before God and he cried out in repentance and desired forgiveness before God. Forgiveness was granted, but all the seeds David had sown demanded a harvest.
Many other areas pertain to sowing and reaping.
One of these areas is “forgiveness”. We are forgiven as we are willing to forgive. Jesus stated: ”For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15
If we sow seeds of unforgiveness, then God will not forgive us. When Peter asked the Lord how many times he should forgive, Jesus stated, “Seventy times seven.” If we sow seeds of forgiveness, we will reap forgiveness from our heavenly Father and those we come in contact with. We are aware of the “golden rule” which is a perfect example of sowing and reaping, “Do unto others as we would have others do unto us.” This is the law of the prophets, Matthew 7:12.
Another area of sowing and reaping where many fall short in their relationship with God is in the law of giving and receiving. The tithe is a perfect example of sowing and reaping.
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10
If we follow God’s law of tithing and giving, we are promised a multiplied harvest in receiving. He will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing we will not have room enough to receive.
Praise God! This is also true when we give up houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, or wives, children or lands for His namesake, Matthew 19:29. These are all seeds sown in the Kingdom. What is God’s promised harvest? We shall receive a hundredfold return and shall inherit everlasting life.
This is also an example of giving and receiving. Those who are willing to forsake all for the Kingdom of God’s sake shall receive a hundredfold return on that which they have given up. This is an unchangeable promise of God. We can do nothing for Him that He does not give us a multiplied harvest. Those who learn this truth of His Word shall inherit everlasting life. When God brings the seeds we have sown to harvest, it is to teach us and to build us that we may not continue to repeat these same sins over and over in our lives.
God desires that we sow to the Spirit, and not to the flesh. We are to sow in faith. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22. It is impossible to have faith without the Spirit. When speaking to the multitude, Jesus related that the Kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed that is sown in the earth ”. . It groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs…” Mark 4:30-32
If our faith is sown in the good earth, it will produce the Kingdom within that cometh without observation, Luke 17:20. Many have encased their mustard seed faith and tied it around their neck. We need to get it out of our plastic life and sow it in the good earth. Hosea related: ”Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12
We are to sow in righteousness and reap in mercy.
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9
We truly need to break up the fallow ground in our lives and seek the Lord. God is desiring a repentant people.
The psalmist stated: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 126:5. If we sow tears of repentance, we will reap everlasting life with joy. David wrote: For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5
Those who are weeping in this night season are sowing tears of repentance. They will witness the joy that comes in the morning. The morning brings a new day, and that new day is His seventh day of rest.
Pastor David Adenodi (PhD) is the Senior Pastor Superintendent, Christ Apostolic Church (Vineyard Of Comfort) U S A Member CACNA Coordinating Council
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