YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

JUNE 11,  2021

TOPIC: YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW

BY T. O. BANSO 

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8 New King James Version).

If you ask many people the most important lessons they have learnt in the Bible, you are going to get different answers. This is rightly so because the Bible is a book that touches every aspect of human life. It is a book that addresses issues concerning every issue of human life, including salvation, eternity, marriage, child training, finances, and health.

One of the important lessons from the Bible is being careful about one’s actions because every action has repercussions. The Bible teaches that whatever someone sows, that he will reap. Not only is this a profound statement in the Bible, but the principle is also clearly seen at work in the lives of some Bible characters. They reaped what they sowed, thereby warning us to learn from them.

Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (New King James Version). Take note of the statement “whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” 

Principles are no respecters of persons.  What you sow is what you’ll reap. In other words, sow according to what you hope to reap. If you want to reap eternal life, don’t sow to your flesh. If you sow to your flesh, you can’t reap eternal life. You will reap corruption. Prayer will not help you to reap what you have not sown. You can’t be sowing to the flesh and be praying that you will reap eternal life.

Let’s put it in a more practical way. Farmers plant what they hope to harvest, and they harvest what they have planted. They could pray for rain or more rain and better yield but prayer will not change the yam seedlings they have planted to beans or sweet potatoes. Whatever you sow is what you’ll reap. The Bible says while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest shall not cease (Genesis 8:22a).  One could also say that while the earth remains, what you sow is what you’ll reap.

Unfortunately, many people have reduced the principle of sowing and reaping to receiving finances and material things alone. No. It is a principle that covers every aspect of life. What you do daily is a seed you’re sowing. Your actions, decisions, choices, words, etc. are seeds. Therefore, be careful of the seed you sow because harvest time will come. Then, you will reap according to what you have sown.

Some people complain about the harvests in their lives – .spiritual and physical, marriage, career, health, relationships, and so on. They might need to pay attention to the type of seeds they have been sowing. If you don’t like your harvest, you may have to change the type of seed you’ve been sowing.

As we have read in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” God is not mocked means “[He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]” (Amplified Bible). Whoever thinks he will get a harvest different from what he has sown is deceived.

God is true to His Word. He won’t allow someone to get a harvest different from what he has sown. That does not rule out the mercy of God, as regards wrong actions or decisions. God determines whom He will have mercy on (Romans 9:15). But all things being equal, your harvest won’t be different from your seed. This underscores the need for you to sow good seeds in your life, marriage, child-rearing, family, relationships, career, business, and the like. The harvest is always more than the seed sown. This works positively and negatively.

Be careful how you treat other people. It’s a seed you’re sowing. As it is often said, what goes around comes around. In Mathew 26, at the arrest of Jesus, Peer brought out his sword to defend Jesus. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” (Matthew 26:52-54 New King James Version). 

John 18:10 says Peter actually slashed off the right ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. But Luke 22:51 says Jesus healed the ear. Nevertheless, take note of what Jesus said: All who take the sword will perish by the sword. This tells us that what you sow is what you reap. In contemporary history, the truth of what Jesus said has been proven. Tyrants, coup plotters, conspirators, mischief-makers, and evil-doers, have been paid back in their own coins. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Be very careful. Don’t be happy you’re making progress in life through evil machinations. Someone could kill or destroy others to rise but his downfall will also come through others. Those who destroyed others to rise by writing petitions against them should not rejoice yet, they will reap what they have sown. Saboteurs will reap the fruit of their deeds. Those who gain political power through deceit, betrayal, assassination and sponsor of unrest should not be surprised when their harvest comes. Hosea 8:7a says they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.

The prophet Samuel told King Agag of Amalek whom Saul spared his life when God send him to completely destroy the city, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women” (1 Samuel 15:33a New King James Version). Samuel hacked him in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. Agag reaped what he sowed.

Be careful. Don’t sow the seed of evil deeds. “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him” (Proverbs 26:27 New King James Version).  Likewise, Ecclesiastes 10:8  says, “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent” (New King James Version).

David says a similar thing: “He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made.  His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown” (Psalm 7:15-16 New King James Version). The enemy’s plot backfired! The same fate awaits those who do the same thing.

David says more along this line in Psalm 9:15-16. He says, “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands” (New King James Version).  Hear David’s testimony: “They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen” (Psalm 57:6 New King James Version).

Don’t forget that the principle of sowing and reaping works in every area of human endeavour. Be careful what you do to others young or old, Christians or non-Christians, citizens or aliens. Proverbs 28:10 says, “Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; but the blameless will inherit good” (New King James Version).

There will be payday for evil-doers. Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:10). He was hanged because he tried to destroy the Jews (Esther 8:7).  Haman’s ten sons were also hanged (Esther 9:14). Proverbs 22:8 says he who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, and the rod of his anger will fail.

In 2 Samuel 1:1-16, David ordered that the Amalekite who claimed to have slain Saul on the battlefield should be killed by the sword.  Similarly, in 2 Samuel 4, David ordered that the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, who brought to David the head of Ishbosheth, who succeeded King Saul, his father, after murdering him should be killed (verses 5-12). They thought they were doing David a favour but they reaped what they had sown.

Don’t join others to do evil. Otherwise, you will share in their suffering in the time of harvest, in this life and eternity. Hosea 7:8-9 says, “Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned. Aliens have devoured his strength, But he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he does not know it” (New King James Version). Don’t waste your life mixing with sinners to do evil.

Judas Iscariot wasted his life by joining forces with those who wanted to kill Jesus (Matthew 26:14-15). He betrayed his Master, Jesus Christ, to his enemies. He couldn’t even spend the money they paid him. He threw it into the temple when they didn’t collect it back from him and he went to hang himself (Matthew 27:3-5).

Talking about the punishment awaiting sinners, Paul says, “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’” (Romans 2:5-6 New King James Version). God will give everyone what is due to him.

The psalmist prays in Psalm 10:2: “The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised” (New King James Version).  This prayer is consistent with the principle of sowing and reaping. Don’t sow evil deeds. Do good, not evil. There is a harvest for both.

Hosea 10:12a says, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy” (New King James Version). The New Living Translation puts it thus: “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love.” Consciously do what is good. There is a reward for you. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6 New King James Version). This is not limited to finances or material things. Do good to everyone (Luke 6:27-36; Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Titus 3:8, 14;  Hebrews 13:16; 14; 1 Peter 3:11, 13; 3 John 11; Revelation 22:11). You will reap it.

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 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 resurrected 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 the palm tree and grow like the 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: Father, I repent of any evil seed I have sown in the past. Forgive me, Father. Let your mercy deliver me from the negative consequences of my actions.  From today, I shall sow good seeds, not evil seeds. I shall do good, not evil. Holy Spirit, help me to do to others as I want them to do to me. Father, let every evil plan against me backfire; let my unrepentant enemies be consumed in their plots.  Let them fall into the pits they have dug or will dig for me. Let the stones they are rolling to harm me roll back on them in Jesus’ name.

(For over 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).