2 Corinthians 9:6 – Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously.
Years ago I
wrote the article, “Giving to Get – Getting to Give.” (Pentecostal Evangel,
January 24, 1982) At the time a lot of emphasis was being placed on having
faith for material wealth. Some readers wrote and gave me their opinion. The
responses reprimanded me for failing to highlight the harvest that comes from
“seed-faith.” I am grateful God has graciously given me a heart full of
compassion, made out of leather.
Second
Corinthians 9:6 wonderfully gives attention to the liberality of God. The Greek
word for “generously” is rooted in blessings.
People who sow “with blessings” reap “with blessings.”
Other
Scripture verses also give attention to sowing and reaping:
“Those
who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He
who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of
joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalms 126:5-6)
“He who sows wickedness reaps
trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed. A generous man will himself
be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:8-9)
Jesus said, “Give, and it will be
given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,
will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured
to you.” (Luke 6:38)
“Do not be deceived:
God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his
sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to
please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become
weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not
give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians
6:7-10)
The
promise of a harvest has two sides.
You get back what you dish out
After leaving Egypt, Israel
wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The faithless generation would not be
able to enter God’s promise. Why 40 years? Why not immediately remove those
without faith?
“That
night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All
the Israelites grumbled against Moses and
Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, ‘If only we had died in Egypt!
Or in this desert! ... So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you
say: In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old
or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me…. For forty years—one year for each of the forty
days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it
is like to have me against you.’” (Numbers 14:1-2, 28-29, 34)
Rejection
always follows “belly-aching.” Grumbling usually gives-way to grabbling. They got
back what they dished out.
King David wanted to build a temple
for God but discovered sowing “the sword” denies the ability to fulfill deep-seated
desires. Too much conflict and turmoil prevents opportunity. Some things cannot
be done when there is “blood on your hands.”
When the
Jewish nation was divided between Judah and Israel, the northern kingdom fell
captive over a hundred years before
the southern kingdom. The difference was the
south had a few kings who sowed righteousness while the north had none.
Ezekiel
declares the reason for Israel and Judah’s captivity: “So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I
will bring down on their own heads what
they have done…. But as for those whose
hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down
on their own heads what they have done,
declares the Sovereign LORD.” (Ezekiel 9:10; 11:21)
Job 4:8
states, “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow
trouble reap it.”
The Psalmist wrote, “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash
their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the
wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The
wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.” (Psalms 37:12-15)
If people sow discord it works
against them. True character becomes exposed in troubling situations and one
who plots evil ultimately looses. Corruption is never hidden from God and
circumstances will work unfortunate consequences.
Beware of troublemakers, regardless
their so-called noble intentions. When motives are not pure they get back what
is dished out.
Sometimes churches go through disturbing
moments. Occasionally a new church gets started. Any unwholesome germ that
causes rift often keeps the propensity to split up alive.
Years ago a pastor was in constant
struggle with a church member. The member made many unfounded accusations
against him and the deacons. His conclusions were inaccurate and the church was
in continuous confusion. Contention became a way of life in the congregation
and inappropriate behavior kept them deprived of the abundance of God.
The Pastor grieved for the
Christian brother, knowing the turmoil would come back to him. The man’s son eventually
entered pastoral ministry. Before long the son spoke to his parents about
chronic troubles plaguing his efforts. The father taught his home dissension
and dissension never left his house.
The subject of sowing and reaping
cannot be fully addressed without acknowledging, “The one who sows in his own
flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption.”
The unpleasant side of sowing and
reaping is getting back what is dished out.
You receive dividends from what you invest
The blessing of giving honorably is
linked to the investment; the “doing good” of Galatians 6:9 returns with great
abundance.
While enlisted in the Air Force, a
church I attended needed painting. I gave every spare moment to help with the
project. On one occasion the pastor and I were the only ones on the job.
Suspended in air, swinging a brush, he said, “Bob, you will receive a reward
for what you are doing today.”
Years later, when overseeing a
small church, the building desperately needed a coat of paint. One person from
the congregation faithfully helped me do the job. The pastor’s comment came to
mind: I was receiving the reward from my investment of years earlier.
Whoever
sows sparingly will reap sparingly and whoever sows “with blessing” will reap
“with blessing” applies to all of life. When someone puts energy, resources and
ability into what needs to be done they benefit bountifully in return.
God
occasionally blesses in ways not fully understood. When preparing for
vocational ministry the Lord miraculously provided essential employment in the
midst of an extreme economic downturn. God rewarded the commitment to serve Him
and helped me pay for college without loans, lifting a financial burden from
plaguing the early days of ministry.
Between
ministry assignments the Lord provided a place to live when things appeared
hopeless. Throughout the years many household
appliances exceeded their useful life. Various pieces of equipment kept working,
way beyond normal. The list is endless of
times when God reminded us, “Here is a reward for endeavoring to do good and not
growing weary.”
You are
not asked to give what you do not have, but to invest with what has been
entrusted to you. God’s blessing is reaped
when you invest.
The
pleasant side of sowing and reaping is receiving dividends.
Sow to bless
Biblical
sowing and reaping means you either get back what you dish out or you receive dividends
from what you invest. The challenge of the harvest is to be careful on one hand
and liberal on the other.
“The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will
reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:8)
Consequences
and rewards are connected to giving. What is reaped is dependent upon the
nature of the gift: trouble gives back trouble and blessing gives back
blessing; sin gives back shame and Spirit gives back serenity.
