WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MARCH 13, 2022
TOPIC: YOUR NEED AND YOUR SEED
BY T. O. BANSO
“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:10 New King James Version).
Need and seed have nearly the same letters. The difference is only in the first letter of each word. Indeed, they sound the same way but they mean different things. Nevertheless, there is a relationship between both.
The noun “need” refers to lack, want, poverty, etc. while seed, in the context of this message, refers to a gift – something you give to God or do for Him or something you give to another person or do for him. Our needs and our seeds are different. Many people are not in doubt of their needs. They know what they lack or want – money, healing, wife, husband, deliverance, promotion, employment, etc.
But many people are ignorant of their seeds. They don’t know that seeds are not limited to money or material things. They don’t know that anything they do for God or others or unto others is a seed. Your behaviour towards another person is a seed. The time you spend with another person and the words you speak to them is a seed. Even what you do to others or say about them in their absence is a seed, good or bad. And Galatians 6:7 says you should not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
The implication of Galatians 6:7 is that your seed determines your harvest. You cannot sow a bad seed and expect a good harvest. All things being equal, the harvest should look like the seed: bad seed, bad harvest. And the harvest is always more than the seed. Galatians 6:8-9 says, “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. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (New King James Version). The question is what seed are you sowing or what harvest will you receive?
Whether you know it or not, you’re sowing seeds every day. The seeds you sow consciously or deliberately like sowing seed in church or your acts of charity outside the church are seeds just as other things you do or say which you don’t regard as seeds. Everything is a seed. And following the natural law of sowing and reaping, you will reap the harvest of what you sow. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22 New King James Version).
If you understand this very well, you will be very careful about the seed you sow – what you do or say. You must not focus only on your gift of money or material things to others or other acts of kindness you do to them but neglect other bad things you do to others. God wants you to sow good seeds so that you’ll reap a good harvest. Matthew 5:16 says you should let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
The Bible talks about a certain disciple at Joppa named Tabitha (Dorcas) who was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did (Acts 9:36). When she died, the good seeds she had sown began to cry to God on her behalf. The disciples, who had heard about Peter’s presence in Lydda, sent two men to go and beg him to come. He came. Verse 39 says at the upper room where Tabitha’s body was laid, all the widows stood by Peter weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Tabitha had made while she was with them. The good seed that Tabitha sowed spoke for her. God heard Peter’s prayer and brought Tabitha back to life.
Also, Acts 10 talks about a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. This man had been sowing a good seed for some time. Cornelius was a devout man; he feared God with his entire household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always (verses 1-2).
One day, at about the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in, calling him by name, and saying to him that his prayers and alms had come up for a memorial before God (verse 4). The angel told him to send for Peter in Joppa and the outcome of Peter’s response to his invitation was the salvation of Cornelius and his household. They were Gentiles. Indeed, while Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. Peter asked if anyone could forbid the baptism of these Gentiles in water when they had received the Holy Spirit just as the Jewish believers had.
We cannot buy the holy things of God or the gifts of God with money or any seed we sow but the law of sowing and reaping is real. It worked for Tabitha and Cornelius. Sow good seeds with your material possessions, words, and deeds. You will reap the harvest. But nobody can determine how the harvest will come and the number of times one seed you sow will produce a harvest. God determines that. That’s why it’s odd when people say that since they had been sowing seeds but had not received any harvest. They probably have not recognized their harvests. They must have been expecting something else.
See how this Roman officer, a centurion, in his hour of need, received the harvest for the seed he had sown. “And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, ‘for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue’” (Luke 7:2-5 New King James Version).
This is an emotional story – the elders of the Jews begging Jesus earnestly on behalf of a Roman officer because of the good seed he had sown by loving the nation of Israel and building a synagogue for them. Jesus went with these Jewish elders. But while Jesus was already not far from the centurion’s house, he sent his friends to tell Him not to trouble Himself, for he was not worthy that He should enter under his roof. He said that was why he didn’t count himself worthy to come to Him. Because of his understanding of authority as a military officer, he asked Jesus to say the word, and his servant would be healed. Jesus described his faith as a great faith that He had not found in Israel. Those who returned to the centurion’s house found his sick servant well (Luke 7:6-10).
Your need and your seed! Everybody has needs in his life but God has also given everybody seeds. Whatever are the needs in your life, sow good seeds in the house of God and into the life of others. There is a relationship between your needs and your seeds. You may never know how God will use your seeds to meet your needs. In your hour of need, it may be the harvest from the seed you have sown in the past that will meet your need. This happened to Tabitha, Cornelius, and the centurion. Don’t let your need hinder you from sowing your seed. Sow good seeds. Be generous, willing, and cheerful. Your seed may not be money, clothes, or food but prayer, words of encouragement, a piece of advice, a visit, a letter of recommendation, or a referral. There is nobody without a need or a seed.
2 Corinthians 9:10 says, “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness” (New King James Version). God gives the farmer seed to sow and then bread (harvest) to eat. He does the same for spiritual Sowers. He will give you many opportunities to do good and He will produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Isaiah 55:10 says, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater” (New King James Version). Don’t say because of your needs you won’t sow good seeds. You don’t know the seed you will sow that will produce the harvest that will meet a particular need in the future. Seedtime and harvest shall not cease. Wise people sow good seeds even in their season of need.
Abraham, an old man, showed hospitality to three men while his wife, Sarah, was still barren and she had passed child-bearing. That encounter led to the birth of the son of promise, Isaac, they had been waiting for (Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7). “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 New King James Version).
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, thank You for meeting my needs in the past. Forgive me for the wrong notion that I have not received any harvest for my past sowing. Holy Spirit, help me to sow good seeds, not bad seeds. I will not allow my needs to hinder me from sowing seeds in Jesus’ name. I will not be weary in sowing good seeds because I know seedtime and harvest shall not cease. Thank You for my harvests that are on the way in Jesus’ name. Holy Spirit, stir up the hearts of children of God all over the world to provide for the needs of those who are genuinely in want.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
