Sowing and reaping

Sowing and Reaping

A few weeks ago in our homeschool, we read one of my favorite children's books, Miss Rumphius. In this picture book, the main character Alice Rumphius sets out to do something to make the world more beautiful. She journeys around her town with lupine seeds (I always loved lupines best, she says) and dropping them along the paths. The next Spring there are lupines everywhere!

 Shortly after we read this book, I read a devotional from Matthew 13:37 discussing Jesus as the Sower. "He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man." The devotional book that I am reading this year is called "Every Day with Jesus" (also called Wonderful Names of Our Wonderful Lord by T.C. Horton and Charles Hurlburt).

This devotional was from May 16:

"The seed is the Word of God. God's Son sowed the good seed. He sows the Word of Truth in the hearts of men. When we sow the Gospel, we sow good seed. When we give out the Word of God we are sowing good seed. Nothing is comparable to the WORD itself. It has potential power. It is a living seed and never fails. We are to imitate our Lord, the Sower and see that the pure seed of the Word is scattered wherever we go. "Sow beside all waters."

Prayer: Lord, make me a seed-sower this day, and hear my prayer for all the sowers in all the world. Amen!"

Matthew 13:18-23

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Matthew 13:37-39

 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,  and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Isaiah 55:11

(God says)... so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.