SOW GENEROUSLY 

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

TOPIC: SOW GENEROUSLY 

BY T. O. BANSO

“There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself” (Proverbs 11:24-25 New King James Version).

The reason some people don’t sow seeds is because of their needs. Yet, their seed has the power to deliver them from their need. Sowing seed is a message some people don’t like to hear probably because of the abuse of this biblical principle by some preachers. Nevertheless, it remains a biblical truth. The Bible commands sowing seed or giving, and the abuse by any preacher should not make any child of God disobey the Word of God.

Seed sowing is certainly not the only key to prosperity but, for a child of God, it is one of them. You must work hard but you must also not neglect seed sowing. As important as prayer is, it will never replace sowing seed. Some people will rather continue to pray than sow seed. But some prayers may not be answered unless you sow seeds. “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard” (Proverbs 21:13 New King James Version). The Easy-to-Read Version puts it this way: “Those who refuse to help the poor will not receive help when they need it themselves.” Sowing seed will release the blessing of God upon your life. Proverbs 10:22 says the blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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” (New International Version).

In this devotional, a seed is defined as anything God has blessed you with such as time, ability, money, and other material things, that you can give to God’s causes on earth or to bless others. Such people include the poor and needy, orphans, widows, and servants of God whose ministries have blessed you. The church or ministries that have blessed you or are blessing you are also qualified to receive your seeds.

Don’t let your needs prevent you from sowing seeds. It is an attitude that will make your life stagnant. Whatever your situation, there is something you can sow to bless others. It doesn’t have to be money. No matter how stingy you are with what you have, it will finish one day if there is no additional supply.

Your seed is not a waste and that’s not what will let what you have to finish. Indeed, you are opening the door for more supply. “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself” (Proverbs 11:24-25 New King James Version). There are harvests for the seeds you sow. If you sow little, you will reap little; if you sow generously, you will reap generously. What you sow, you will also reap (Galatians 6:7b).

Be a blessing to other people. Don’t live for yourself only. By blessing someone, you’re creating a future of abundance for yourself. The harvest is always more than the seeds sown.

Sowing seed is not a competition between you and others. It is also not something you should do because someone coerced you or manipulated you. It is something you should do willingly, voluntarily, cheerfully, and generously, as 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 you read earlier shows. God loves a cheerful giver. Sow according to your ability, as each disciple did in Acts 11:29.

If you sow into the lives of the poor and needy, widows, and orphans, God will reward you because He cares so much about them. The first part of James 1:27 says religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is to look after orphans and widows in their distress. Proverbs 19:17 says, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given” (New King James Version). The Bible also says he who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor (Proverbs 22:9).

As I have said, if a servant of God blesses you spiritually, sow material things into his life too. Instead of doing this, some people request money from the servants of God He is using to bless them or they say to them, “God bless you.” Saying this or similar words is not enough. You need to bless them financially or materially according to your ability. “The one who is taught the word [of God] is to share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his spiritual and material support]” (Galatians 6:6 Amplified Bible).

The barren woman of Shunem sowed a seed into the life of the Prophet Elisha. She started by feeding the servant of God any time she visited Shunem and later provided accommodation for him to stay during his visits. She reaped the harvest of her seed. She was blessed with a child, and when the child died, Elisha raised him back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37). Through the prophetic guidance of Elisha, the woman of Shunem was exempted from the sufferings of a seven-year famine because Elisha had told her to relocate. When she came back after the famine, the king ordered that all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day she left the land be restored to her (2 Kings 8:1-6). She reaped these harvests because of her seed of taking care of the man of God.

There are other examples of seed sowing in the Bible, including that of Mary, Barnabas, and Tabitha (John 12:3-7; Acts 4:36-37; 9:36, 39). Sow seeds generously. Don’t wait for a perfect condition before you will sow. Be intentional about it. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Make seed sowing a lifestyle. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says that whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. The New Living Translation puts Ecclesiastes 11:4 this way: “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”  

Wise people don’t miss opportunities to sow thereby preparing for themselves abundant harvests in the future. They don’t use their needs as an excuse. They sow despite their needs and to meet their needs. “Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. Divide your gifts among many, for in the days ahead you yourself may need much help” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 The Living Bible). Verse 6 says, “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (New King James Version). Sow your seed. As you do so, God will enrich you in every way so that you can always be generous (2 Corinthians 9:11a).

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me not to miss the opportunities to sow seeds for bountiful harvests. I shall sow generously, not sparingly.

(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

 T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org