We Reap What We Sow

"Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the leaders who outlived him--those who had personally experienced all that the Lord had done for Israel."  Joshua 24:31

After Joshua died, the Israelites continued to take possession of the land that God had given them.  They did well, because they asked God what the battle plan was, and they followed His instructions.  All too often I find that I make my plans and then ask God to bless them.  I need to follow this example of the Israelites and ask God to show me His plans for me and then carry those plans out.

The Bible tells us very clearly that we will reap what we sow, and nature bears this law out.  We find this truth reinforced over and over,  especially in farming.  If we sow beans, beans come up.  If we sow squash, we don't get corn or okra--we get squash.  If we have sown some wild oats and dread to see the plants from those seeds, it doesn't do any good to pray for crop failure.  Those seeds will sprout and bear their harvest.  If we want our lives to have good fruit, we must plant good seeds.

There is a very interesting example of the law of the harvest in Judges 1:6-7.  In this case a king named Adoni-Besek reaped very specifically from an act he had sown.  The Israelites fought against his army and defeated them.  Adoni-Besek escaped, but the Israelites  captured him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.  This was a practice which prevented warriors from being able to fight.  Adoni-Besek recognized the poetic justice of this act, because he said,  "I once had seventy kings with thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table.  Now God has paid me back for what I did to them."  Joshua 1:7a

Some people will have gardens full of weeds and thistles.  Others will have gardens filled with beautiful, fragrant blooms and luscious fruit.  What are you planting in your garden by your attitudes and your daily habits?

"Although the wicked flourish, like weeds, and evildoers blossom with success, there is only eternal destruction ahead of them.  But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow like the cedars of Lebanon.....Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green."  Psalms 92:7, 12, 14