“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6, ESV).
“Look at my cilantro,” my husband Israel said proudly. He had planted it in our front yard, and was excited to see it flourishing. Not too much time has passed, and he called me out there again. “Look at my starfruit!” It, too, is growing happily in our yard (a first for us). I love seeing the joy he is experiencing, partnering with God to see fruit come out of the earth for our enjoyment. He has several other new plants growing out there too.
“Here is the cilantro seed. I’m going to take it out to the Missions School and plant some more there,” he added. I was struck by his absolute certainty of the results he anticipated. Our students would soon be enjoying cilantro out there in our jungle campus, just like we are at home. He was already seeing it in his mind’s eye, and he smiled with satisfaction.
His confident, joyful anticipation certainly was justified. Seed works. We put it in the ground, and beautiful plants come up, sharing their bounty with us. If God ever gave us a dramatic visual illustration of how the spiritual realm functions, He did it when He created seed.
This is what He had in mind when He told us, “He who sows in the field of his lower nature, will from that nature reap destruction; but he who sows to serve the Spirit will from the Spirit reap the Life of the Ages” (Gal. 6:8, Weymouth).
Wow… the Life of the Ages! In practical terms, what does that look like? What kind of harvest are we talking about? Holy Spirit also spells that out for us, in detail. This is the fruit that will grow as we sow to the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Gal. 5:22-23, ESV).
Would you like an abundance of genuine love and joy in your life? Sowing to serve the Spirit works! It’s as much of a sure thing as Israel’s cilantro and starfruit. This year, let’s put into the soil of our lives the good seed of the Word. Let’s sow it into our hearts bountifully, that we might reap bountifully. Let’s thirst for time in His presence, where the living waters of His Spirit become as precipitation that nourishes the new fruit eagerly growing up. More than ever before, in 2021 let’s sow our minutes and our hours and our days with joyful anticipation… of the guaranteed harvest to come, the Life of the Ages!
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One place I love to go for sowing to the Spirit is Biblegateway.com. I absolutely relish being able to quickly move between Bible translations as I meditate on the rich meaning of each verse I am studying. Their drop-down menu of versions is a treasure trove!
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Prayer, Bible reading and meditation, worship, generosity… what other ways have you found to sow to the Spirit?
Feeding On Jesus 
Jenn, Once again, no surprise! Bible Gateway is my ‘go to’ source whenever I start a new study/sermon/teaching. The ease at which we can dive into God’s Word is truly at our fingertips.
Blessings,
Chuck
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Haha, I love it! We really are rich in ways previous generations weren’t, aren’t we?
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Thanks for the post Jennifer.
I will also add fellowship and dwelling in His house to others ways of sowing to the Spirit. I have been blessed by these over the years.
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Thank you too, Bro George, that is such a vital insight!
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+1 for BibleGateway. Excellent resource.
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Yes! Thank you 🙂 🙂
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I always enjoy messages that feature farming/gardening.
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They are easy to relate to, aren’t they?
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Yes they are!
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😀
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In answer to your question, Kindness and an outpouring of grace in humility and love.
Thanks for the great reminder that we can plant seeds with expectancy.
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You are welcome, my dear sister. And amen and amen, I share that prayer with you!
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Thank you for great messages and life stimulating imput. As well as great resources for personal growth I would like to encourage all Christian Bloggers to keep on posting. Sow as the Spirit leads and inspires. He is reaching hearts and lives and encouraging His Beloved in new ways, Not ALL are called to sow this way but if you are, thank HIM and ask HIM for HIS Timing and how often.
His Love to the World through Christians connecting and inspiring, informing, even allowing God to correct and bring to repentance each other.
Sowing…..Reaping ……..A GOD ordained way of life. As certain as Cilanto.
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Aw you are so welcome, Faye! My heart rejoices to know that you are blessed through them, truly! I really like this insight, that bloggging as He leads is also an important way to sow to the Spirit. Thank you so much for pointing that out!
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I have found that serving in whatever He puts before me sows to the Spirit! Right now it’s been to lead a Zoom Bible study with a group of women through a counseling ministry where I volunteer – paulashope.org .
Jesus fills me up to the top with joy as these women discover more freedom in their walks with Him! Oh and by the way—I LOVE cilantro, so I will never forget this lesson! ♥️
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Chuckling joyfully. I absolutely love it too! And rejoicing with you for the joy that you are already reaping from sowing in such a precious way, into the souls that He loves!
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thank you again for your inspired words. As well as all those you mention, the best way for me to grow is obedience – when I obey His promptings, His word and purposes flourish.
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Yes! What an absolutely vital way to sow to the Spirit! Thank you for sharing that one, Dawn, it’s such a key insight. 🙂 ❤
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Listening to where God is leading me, and who he is leading me into conversations with. He provides the nudge in the right direction but it is still up to me to take that step and share the love He freely shares with me, with all of my heart.
I am slowly finding it easier to do this, and am starting to enjoy living in the space of spiritual fulfilment with God.
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Aw, that put a big joyful smile on my face. I am so very glad for you, my brother! 🙂
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