God gives you seed and increases your harvest!
This is a photo of a date palm called the methuselah plant because it was grown from 2,000 year-old seeds.
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor. 9:10 NIV)
Some palm tree seeds were found in an ancient Egyptian tomb over 2,000 years old! They were planted, grew and produced wonderful dates. Life was still inside those seeds after all those years! But, they did nothing until they we're put into some soil. Only then did they finally grow!
God has provided good seeds for you to plant and grow! But, until you actually plant them, nothing will happen for you! Sadly, many go without because they don't plant their seeds!
Seeds for bread and seeds for righteousness
Two kinds of seed harvests are mentioned here:
1) Seeds for a harvest of bread
2) Seeds for a harvest of righteousness
Facts about seeds:
- You won't have a crop without seeds. But, the good news is that God has provided them for you. (2 Cor. 9:10)
- Each seed is filled with life and potential. 30, 60, 100-fold return per seed! You will get more than you plant, a bigger return! (Matt. 13:8).
- You have to plant the seed. They will only work for you if you plant them! “For whatever a man might sow, that also he will reap.” (Gal. 6:7).
- You have to plant in good soil. (Matt. 13:8)
- You have to wait for it. It takes time, but planted seeds will eventually bringa harvest.
What good seeds are you planting?
Plant good seeds of excellent work habits
God supplies all your needs (Phil. 4:19), but they are often disguised as raw materials and hard work! God will supply work for you to do (Eph. 2:10), but you must do the work necessary to reap a good harvest from it. Show up to your job on time and with a good attitude. Don't be lazy! Work hard to accomplish the best results possible with excellence. Work for your employer as though you were actually working for the Lord, Himself.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Col. 3:23 NIV)
Plant good seeds of righteousness
Sow seeds of love and kindness. Don't treat others the way they necessarily treat you but instead treat them as God has treated you. “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:32 NASB)
“I said, 'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.'” (Hosea 10:12 NLT)
“I planted…… God gave the growth.” (1 Cor. 3:7)