Reaping and Sowing
Dear Beloved,
I'm sure that we have all had the talks with our parents and Sunday school instructors about Luke 8:17. "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." Also known as, "Don't lie because your parents will find out." Growing up, Luke 8:17 was watered down in a way that I would understand as a child. However, it wasn't until recently that I understood the magnitude of this verse.
Not too long ago, I went through a season where everything was coming back to bite me. Even things that didn't seem important at the moment were resurfacing. It confused me that all of this stuff was blowing up because I had just started to pursue God. It was like, "Okay God, I get it! I was wrong, you were right. Feel free to stop anytime now!" I had no idea why God was letting all of this stuff pop up. It was messing up everything that I was just starting to re-build.
One night, I ended up telling my dad the way I was feeling. He brought my attention to Matthew 13 the Parable of the Sower. In the parable, a farmer is sowing seeds. Some of the seeds got eaten by birds. Some got scorched by the sun because the soil was shallow. And some got choked by thorns. But the seeds that fell on good soil grew way more than what was sown.
That principle applies to literally everything in this world. My dad called it "The Reaping and Sowing Law", to emphasize the fact that it is unstoppable and always in motion. Like gravity, as long as you are on this planet, you can't escape it. This "law" basically says that everything you do will have an effect later on. For example, when you study for a test, you have a higher chance of passing. Whereas, if I binge watch Netflix when I should be studying (which I totally don't do), I have a lower chance of passing.
The same goes for all of our actions. Some of our actions take longer to fully mature than others, but they always have an effect. Which is where Luke 8:17 comes in. If you find yourselves not making the best choices and straying from God, you will deal with the repercussions. Everything will eventually be brought out into the open.
My dad went on to tell me that God isn't trying to make me feel shameful. He isn't throwing this stuff back at me to fill me with guilt. We do it to ourselves. We sowed. We reap. It's a package deal. God is just and fair. If He were to stop a sour seed from sprouting to spare my feelings He wouldn't be God.
It’s important to know that when these things pop up, it's not God trying to get back at you or anything like that. It is just nature running its course. Be wary of the decisions that you make and where you are tossing your seeds and maybe it'll spare you some hurt further down the road.
“Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
