"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT SOWING AND REAPING"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT SOWING AND REAPING"

Proverbs 22:8 He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.

Proverbs 22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

The Book of Proverbs is God's Book to us, and for us, so that we may have God's wisdom in the practical day to day matters of life.
Literally, there is almost no part of life that is not dealt with in these 31 chapters.
In these two verses, we learn something about what has been called the Law of Sowing and Reaping. In these verses the law, or principle, is connected to the sowing of iniquity of sin, and what one will reap. And, it's connected to the sowing of care for others, being generous in helping others, and the reaping that will take place.

1. There is a principle God has built into life, and we call it Sowing and Reaping.
Paul states this principle clearly in Galatians 6:7-8

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Paul tells us not to be deceived about all this. God will not be mocked. In other words, man is accountable to God in heaven for his actions here below on earth. The principle is simple, and God ensures that this principle is active in life. “For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”.

The two verses in Proverbs are specific examples of this principle. Two types of sowing and two types of reaping.

2. A man can choose to sow iniquity or live in sin, and he will reap two things.

Proverbs 22:8 He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.

Here's how this reads in the NLT:
Proverbs 22:8 Those who plant seeds of injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will end.

If a man lives in an unjust way, he is planting seeds as he goes.
God tells us that a harvest will come from those seeds.
The harvest will be one of disaster and terror.
And that one day this man's life of sowing injustice will come to an end.

3. Or a man can choose to sow generously, investing in helping others, and he will also reap.

Proverbs 22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

This is now the contrast, the other way a man can live or sow as he goes through life.
He can be a man whose life is marked by generosity.
He is said to have a generous eye, or heart.
And that if he is generous he will be blessed.
His generosity is expressed in helping the poor.

Again in the NLT it reads:
Proverbs 22:9 Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.

How interesting that man wants to keep what he has, but in doing so, he does not find satisfaction.
But on the other hand, if he is caring for others who are in need, he will find himself being blessed.
God has made life to be this way.

Life is more than food and drink, says the Lord.
Life is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14)

Some Questions:

1. Have you had enough experience in life to know the truthfulness of this principle?

2. Have you experienced the emptiness that comes from living a life of iniquity, or sowing iniquity?

3. And, have you experienced the blessing of sowing generously into the lives of other people?

4. God has given us an example to follow. He did not sow iniquity into this world, but rather love as shown by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. Look what He has reaped, multitudes of children adopted into His family. We who believe are some of them, and we have been made part of an eternal family, all because of God's generosity and grace towards us.

A Prayer:

Father, Your Word is our daily bread. You feed us the truth that renews our minds and gives us a clear path to walk down. You show us what to avoid and what to pursue. You want to bless our lives, it's Your good pleasure to give us the kingdom. You tell us not to be afraid.
You encourage us sow to righteousness while we live here on this earth, waiting to be with You in heaven. It's then that we will reap the greatest blessing of all. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia