Living in Saskatchewan we are all familiar with sowing and reaping. But did you realize that this principle is throughout the bible and affects every aspect of our lives? Isaac sowed in the land and reaped a hundred-fold return, God blessed him (Gen 26:12).

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again" (Luke 6:38; KJV).

It’s Interesting that how we give affects how we receive.

In Galatians 6:7 we are told that God is not deceived, we reap what we sow. Sowing and reaping affects every aspect of our lives not just farming and financial or material giving. Job lamented that: “they that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same (Job 4:8). Hosea observed that those who have: “sown the wind”; “reap the whirlwind” (Hos 8:7). In Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 24 we read that to have a friend we must be a friend. Again, in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 21 we are taught that; “death and life are in the power of the tongue”. Our words reap a harvest good or evil.

Have you noticed that everything reproduces after its own kind? I think a pig would be surprised if it produced chickens. Let’s meditate on our giving and receiving; sowing and reaping today. Let’s do a checkup today; we need to be reminded that how we give in every aspect of our life determines what we will receive, good or evil.

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"A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth..." (Ps 112:5; KJV). We learn in many places in scripture that God wants us to be generous to the poor. In Proverbs 19:17 it says that God will pay back to us what we give to the poor and in Proverbs 28:27 it says that if we give to the poor we will not lack.

It's not just in the Old Testament that we read this either; in the gospel of Mathew (Matt 5:42). Jesus said to give to him who begs from you and don’t look the other way. The Greek word for give in that verse is, didomi, which means to give freely as Christ would give. In other words, we have to have a desire to give and be a blessing. We know from many scriptures that when we give God promises to bless us, for example in Ecclesiastes 11:1 it says to: "cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days", also in Mathew 10:42 we are told that if we only give a cup of water to someone we will be rewarded.

The apostle Paul quoted Jesus as saying: “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:25). The early church clearly had giving and meeting needs established; they had all things in common; gave generously and no one was in lack (Acts 4:32-37)!

Lord give us a heart for the needy.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.

".......so that I might finish my course with joy...." (Acts 20:24; KJV), I don't believe God wants us to be boring stodgy Christians. If we could enjoy life rather than rushing from one busy thing to another, then we would have a better witness to the world.

God: “giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17; KJV) and in John 10:10 Jesus said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. The writer of Ecclesiastes told us to find ENJOYMENT in everything we do and even adds that this is from God (Eccl 2:24; 5:18).

The apostle Peter taught that if we want to: "love life and see good days", there are 3 things we should do: 1. Watch what we say. 2. Do what is right. 3. Search for peace (1 Peter 3:10-11). I would like to add one more scripture to that advice which is found in Acts 20:35, here we are told: “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. Once you make your aim in life to be a giver (and that doesn't just mean money), then you cannot fail to enjoy life, because you will be putting others first and that is a great prescription for joy. 

Please pass this on. All rights reserved.

Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.