Seedtime and harvest

FIRST LOVE RECOVERY MINISTRIES

Seedtime and harvest
Gen.8:22(KJV)
"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Luke 8:4-8(KJV)
"And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 8:11-15(KJV)
"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

The Lord Jesus Christ outlined the parable of the sower in the second set of scriptures and his interpretation of it in the third set of scriptures.
The seed is the word of God(Luke 8:11).
The word of God is the word of the kingdom(Matt. 13:19).
God himself is the King of the kingdom.
God is the sower of the seed.
The seed is good,having the full potential to become a harvest for the sower(Gen.8:22;Isa 55:11).
There are several challenges that a natural seed has to face and overcome before it becomes a fruitful tree to be harvested.
The sower has the obligation to aid the seed to overcome those challenges and become his harvest!
Examples of such challenges with respect to destiny have been discussed briefly in 'An open door' and more elaborately in 'The viral war'.
The word of God contains both his commands and his promises to mankind,and then classical examples of persons and nations that either received his word or rejected it.
The greatest example for us in all generations is Jesus Christ:-
Luke 24:44(KJV)
"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."

Jesus Christ co-operated with God so that his word for him and through him could be fulfilled and become the Saviour of mankind according to divine destiny(Luke 2:11).
Divine destiny is the sum total of God's purposes for mankind in Christ Jesus corporately and individually for all time and eternity.
The aspect of individuality with respect to divine destiny has been highlighted in 'The bat,the cat,and the rat'.
Divine destiny is revealed to us by God's indwelling Spirit through the word of God:-
1 Cor.2:9-10(KJV)
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

This is why the word of God is vital to the issue of divine destiny.
Each person and people is likened to one of the four types of hearers of God's word analysed in Luke 8:11-15.
Each of us has the personal responsibility to freely choose to receive the word of God!
The starting point is when each person in response to the word of God repents from sin,and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Thereafter each person also has the duty of joyfully,patiently, and firmly keeping the word of God in spite of the inner and outer pressures of life(Luke 8:12-14)!!

Heb.6:12(KJV)
"That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

We have already examined the importance of faith with respect to destiny in 'Rhema Island'.
Linked with faith is patience(Luke 8:15) because the process of discovering,pursuing,and fulfilling divine destiny takes time and effort!
As each one faithfully and patiently follows Jesus Christ by God's indwelling Spirit,divine destiny begins to unfold unto fulfillment(harvest) in God.

Psalm 1:1-3(KJV)
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."


About the Author

British-born Nigerian Christian writer living and working in London,UK with website:www.firstloveministries.org.uk