Reaping Isn't Automatic

My Pastor said something that was life changing Sunday and that was ‘reaping is not automatic.’ I don’t know about you, but I thought it was. I thought you sow and you reap. But then he went on to say that reaping isn’t automatic in the natural. Meaning, if you plant corn seed, corn isn’t going to jump off the stalk and into your basket automatically is it? No! Then why do we think it’s going to do it when we sow?1 Corinthians 3:8 says, ‘Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.’

You’re going to have to labor and go get the harvest which means there’s work involved in reaping. I know we thought that once we sowed, all we had to do was throw up three ‘Hallelujah’s’ and someone was going to just walk up and hand us a check; but that’s not always the case. I thought I was just supposed to stand in faith and WAIT until I received. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t have even made the trip to the field. I would have shouted ‘Amen! I receive!’ went to the house and stayed there waiting on a check; not realizing that stalks of corn don’t come in the mail.

26And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground27and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Notice in verse 26 it says the man scattered (sowed) seed but who put in the sickle? Not God, the man! You’re going to have to use the sickle; the tools God’s given you. ‘The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.’ (Deut 28:12) So, one way you’ll reap your reward is to use the tools that the Lord has given you and with those tools, He’ll bless the work of your hands. For me its writing. You’re now reading the work I’ve put in as a writer because I used the tools I’ve been given. For you it may be doing hair. If you’re a stylist, style. If you’re expecting more clients, have you sown free wash and sets? If it’s catering, cater. If it’s rapping, write and get in the studio. Bottom-line is use your tools and don't be afraid to monetize it!

A lot of our harvests have already come in; problem is, we think we’re waiting on God to reap it. When in reality, we haven’t done the work.

Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, please reveal to me the tools You’ve given and show me exactly where my field is to go out and get it. In Jesus’ name.

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