A Time To Plant

But this I say he which soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully. II Corinthians 9:6
   Now today I want you think about what this scripture means. Many years ago when more of the people lived off the land and what they grew they knew the importance of a good planting season. If they didn't plant a lot of seeds then they would not grow enough food for the following winter. They knew that by working in the spring they would have a good harvest.
   We as Christians are often compared to a farmer. We are expected to plant the seeds of the gospel into the ground (the sinners). Some of the ground is fertile and some of it is choked with briars and some of it is nothing but rocks. We are expected to plant the gospel everywhere not just on the good ground. Even sometimes we will see a tree growing on the side of a cliff where it has taken root and grown. It is in an unlikely place but it is thriving.
The seeds that are sown in good ground are expected to produce a lot of good fruit. Sometimes however even though we think it is good ground , right under the surface it is pure rock. The seeds will start out growing good and we will think it will be such a good strong plant and because it is unable to get rooted, it will not develop the fruit it should have.
   The seeds that are planted in the briars will sometimes grow. If the briars are cut down and uprooted the seeds can develop into a good strong plant. You never know when the plant will grow enough to develop the good fruit. Sometimes this just requires a little more work to get the seed planted.
   Even if you plant seeds in very rocky soil you never know when one will wash into a crevice between the rocks and develop into a good strong plant. This also may require planting between the rocks.
   What happens if a person goes around with a lot of seeds but never plants any? Will there be any harvest? What happens if they are only willing to plant the seeds in the most promising looking soil? What happens if they are ignoring the less promising land and only looking for the best? Will there be a good harvest if only a few seeds are planted? Will that person reap bountifully?
   What kind of sower are you? Are you one who will sow a seed anywhere you can find any kind of patch of soil or are you one that will only sow a seed where you can sow a lot together? Do you care if only 1 plant can grow from a spot of soil or do you not want to waste your time with 1 plant? If you plant 1 seed here and then a little ways on another seed in another small place and you keep repeating this before long you will have planted a lot of seeds. It may not look like much as you're going along but in the end when harvest time comes there will be a good harvest.
   It is not the job of everyone to do the harvesting there must be planters. You may be a planter and never get to see the results of the seeds you plant here but in the end when you are in heaven with your rewards you'll see just how much of a harvest you have caused.
If you are a person who does harvesting just remember there would be no souls to harvest had there not been someone there to put the seeds there in the beginning. A person that does the harvesting will often get the glory "oh I had 57 souls saved in the last revival I preached" but if those souls had not had a seed planted somewhere they would not have been ready to make that commitment. Planting is the most trustworthy of the jobs God hands out for if it is not planted then it can't grow to be harvested.
   If you are called to plant then be thankful and do a worthy job. The rewards will someday be worth it.

Have a blessed day.