“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. You will reap what you sow.”

I think sometimes we get confused though. I think the devil convinces us that we are reaping, when we are really sowing.

He tells us, “Grab that sweet juicy fruit! The good times, the next drink, the next sexual experience. Now is the time. Seize the day! Carpe diem. Get it now before it’s too late.”

But in reality we are not reaping. We are sowing. We are sowing addiction, shallowness, loneliness, unfaithfulness. And these are the qualities that we will reap in all our future relationships. We will not find our happily ever after if we serve only our own happiness.

When a farmer sows, he takes seed, that could feed him today, and he casts it out over the open ground. Once done, it is impossible to know what happens to every grain. They disappear into the ground. Some die, but others don’t, and those that don’t grow. They grow and become hundreds of grains.

Sowing is about risk, about stepping out in faith, about giving up something you value today, maybe even need today, believing that it will multiply and come back to me if I give it away.

The bible pictures a trusting partnership between humanity and the earth. We cultivate it, we give it grain, it receives it, nurtures it and returns it to us abundantly. In like manner, a man sows seed into a woman, she receives it, nurtures it, and returns it to him in abundant form! What a miracle that God brings about! 

Giving in faith, expecting and waiting for joy to come, this is the abundant life God is calling us to in all our pursuits and relationships. This kind of giving with faithfulness and perseverance grows us, deepens us, and blesses us in abundant ways.

Grabbing, hoarding, FOMO, move in the opposite direction from sowing. They tell us to gather, think of ourselves, don’t let others get the jump on us, or we will miss out and be left with scarcity. They tell us that the resources we need are sparse and only greed will get us our share. And unfortunately this becomes true when we all live like this.

Sowing must come before the reaping. If no one sows, then none of us reap much.

Revelation tells us that the Tree of Life bares fruit 12 times a year, a different fruit each month, a continual harvest. This is a pleasant truth. We do not live in a world where God leaves us as paupers expecting us to starve waiting for the harvest. There are always joys around us to be received and thankful for. And both sowing and reaping are continual tasks throughout life.

Yet, in general, those who are young, are in the spring of life. This is the time for sowing, broadly and generously. Sow the things you want to reap- honest friendships, faithfulness to your commitments, integrity, listening ears. You’ll want these things to come back to your through your bosses, co-workers, neighbors and family.

There will be doubts. Moments when you wonder if the waiting is worth it, if you’re being taken for granted, but do not be deceived, God is not mocked, you Will reap what you sow.

If you are old, in general, you are reaping what you have sown. Your health, your finances, but especially your relationships. Some things have undoubtedly died in the soil where they fell, but I hope that others are feeding you and encouraging you today. If not, remember, the Tree of Life bears 12 fruits a year. It’s never too late to start sowing. God is generous!