Time with Jesus - Saturday, 17 November 2012
Hi all,
Sowing and reaping constitutes our meditation today.
It’s actually a Spiritual principle – thank God. It would be a terrible thing
if we were not sure what an outcome wold be; imaging sewing potatoes and
getting a mixed bag of beans and cabbages. What if the product of the mating of
a dog and bitch produced a fish? What if your wife or daughter gave birth to a
horse? Thank God it doesn’t work like that. Dogs produce dogs. Cats give birth
to cats. God has cast this in concrete. We will always reap what we sow.
Blessings,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Saturday, 17 November 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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SOWING
AND REAPING
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No
pain, no gain! This is true for all of us in every situation imaginable! We
don’t always like it. But it works this way regardless of our opinion. I
remember starting piano lessons at the age of 9. I was told then that unless
I practised, nothing would come of it. For whatever reason, I didn’t
practise. So nothing came of the piano lessons. There was nobody to blame but
me. It’s not so bad when you are only nine. But sadly, the principle is true
for everyone regardless of age.
A day
or so ago, I mentioned the word “average”. School children seem to thrive on
being “average”. We were warned that to pass the exam at the end of the year
would take dedication and hard work. One or two listened. They did
exceptionally well. They put in lots of time preparing for the exam. They
ended up at the top of the class. The lazier ones didn’t put in the required
work. So we scraped through. My report always had the remarks on it, “Jim
could do better!” But schooldays don’t exactly inspire you to be what we call
a “nerd” today! There was a facetious remark in this connection. A remark
many of us “bought into”. The remark was. If the pass-mark is 40% and you get
a 50% result, it represents 10% wasted effort! In a perverted way, the
statement contains some truth. Until I realised the long term implications. I
said to myself, “If the pass mark for a medical doctor was 40%, how would I like
to be treated by that doctor?” I didn’t like it. I wanted a doctor with 90%
plus. But bad habits are hard to break so I spent most of my school days getting
just enough to pass somehow or other,.
What
I hadn’t realised was that sowing and reaping is a spiritual law. It’s going
to work for you whether you believe it or not. For instance if I don’t
believe in the law of gravity and step off the roof, I will fall. One thing
is certain. When I hit the ground, if I survive, I will immediately believe
in the law of gravity! Spiritual laws are a bit like that. They work for or
against you whether you believe them or not. You will always reap what you
sow. If I plant tomatoes, I’ll get tomatoes and not beans. I can look at the
beans as much as I like and “will them” to be tomatoes. It won’t work. Tomato
seeds bring forth tomatoes. Corn pips bring forth corn!
Angus
Buchan planted potatoes. In spite of all the negative weather conditions, he
got a crop of potatoes. “Faith Like Potatoes” he called the movie. It wasn’t
“Faith like Onions”. You get what you plant. If you choose to be with bad
people you will be in trouble. Don’t tell the judge “I got into bad company!”
Not True. You did it You chose bad friends! There is only one way to pray in
such circumstances. See the mistake you have made and pray for a crop
failure. It might work. The Lord just might have mercy on you. Otherwise you’re
stuck with your crop.
Jim & Phyllida Strickland.
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7 Don't be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful
nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who
live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
9 So let's not get tired of doing what
is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we
don't give up. 10 Therefore,
whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone--especially
to those in the family of faith.
Galatians
6:7-10 NLT
8 Here's what I've observed. People gather
a crop from what they plant. If they plant evil and trouble, that's what they
will harvest.
Job 4:8
NIrV
7 "They have planted the wind and will
harvest the whirlwind. The stalks of grain wither and produce nothing
to eat. And even if there is any grain, foreigners will eat it.
Hosea 8:7
NLT
18 Those who do what is wrong really earn nothing. But those who plant what is right will certainly be
rewarded.
Proverbs
11:18 NIrV
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the
richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one
who waters will himself be watered.
Proverbs
11:24-25 ESV
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully.
2
Corinthians 9:6 ESV
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We never really understood the many
things he did.
He had a strange perversion for
anybody’s kid.
He wouldn’t wash his body and so he
used to smell.
Give him soap and water and he would
start to yell!
His siblings kept avoiding him. They
talked behind his back.
“You’d better get this sorted out, or I’ll
give you a smack”
Is what his father told him. He didn’t
seem to care.
And didn’t mind the comments, he heard
most everywhere.
We thought as he grew older that he
was sure to change.
And when he came to puberty we saw him
acting strange.
He took a secret fancy to the girl
across the street.
He thought her very pretty and somehow
rather sweet.
But when he tried to meet with her, he
got a cold rebuff.
She wrinkled up her nose at him and
said, “That’s close enough.
I’m sorry, this may hurt you, but
here’s what I must tell.
If you want a date with me, you’d
better fix your smell!”
You’d think he’d learn a lesson, for
every girl he met,
Kept him at a distance. As far as they
could get,
To avoid the odour that he would
emanate.
That is when he realised, he’d never
get a date,
With any of the ladies! He’d reaped
what he had sown,
And if he didn’t wash himself, he’d be
all on his own!
That’s when he started thinking, he’d
have to change his ways,
Or he would be “hermit” for his
remaining days.
When he got home that evening, he
realised he knew,
Exactly what was needed, to change the
ladies view.
He went and bought deodorant, a
shampoo and some soap.
“I know I’ve got to do this. I’ve really
been a dope.”
And so he fixed the problem. At last
the smell was gone.
No longer could folk say of him, “There goes the stinky one”.
He spruced up his appearance and he
looked rather neat.
And soon the ladies said of him, “That guy looks very sweet.
If he will invite me, to go out for a
date,
I think I’d rather like it. In fact, I
cannot wait.”
He reaped what he was sowing. And it’s
still true today.
The harvest you are reaping depends in
every way,
Upon what you have planted. And that
is what you’ll see.
There is no variation. It has God’s
guarantee.
Jim Strickland
Written
17th November 2012
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