Sowing and Reaping


And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows--how, he himself does not know. 
(Mark 4:26-27 NASB)

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. 
(Galatians 6:7-8 NASB)

I've long been intrigued by the concept of sowing and reaping.  Better understood in an agrarian culture, I wonder how much we understand it in an age where instant gratification is emphasized.  I have also been intrigued by the irony that, even though life is short (Psalm 39:4), God calls us to patience (James 5:7).

I believe that this can only be properly understood by considering the eternal purposes of God.  Patience seems to make no sense if our focus is on ourselves and what can be done in our lifetimes; however, when we consider the eternal purposes of God - what He has planned in eternity past for an eternal future - it makes much more sense!

Recently at our church, Jacob's Well, we have been going through the Gospel of Mark.  I love the parable of the sower in Mark 4, where we see the miracle of growth, both in its size (Mark 4:8) and in its nature (Mark 4:27).  These are wonderful reminders that our expectations are supernatural ones focused on God, and that as sowers and reapers, we are and do essentially nothing compared to Him (1 Corinthians 3:7).

In my ongoing study in the book of Ephesians I came across something unexpected:
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  (from Ephesians 1:4 NASB)

I was surprised to learn that the word ‘foundation’ has the sense of casting seed for a purpose yet to be realized.  Clearly we are chosen by God individually and corporately to reflect His character.  Not under condemnation, God has called us, redeemed us, and destined us for glory!  (Romans 8:28-30).  All circumstances in our lives have been designed from eternity past for this purpose.

The key takeaways for me here are as follows:
 - I can be patient knowing that what God is doing in my life is part of an eternal plan, the full extent of which will not be realized until we reach heaven.
 - I can be persistent knowing that at any given moment I am sowing to the flesh or to the Spirit, and seek to sow to the latter as consistently as possible.

So I look back at my life, and while impatient at the slow pace of personal growth, I am amazed at how much God has changed me - and I know that I did not make that happen!

Here's to joyfully and expectantly sowing to the Spirit.

In His Grip,

Mark


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