It makes sense to sow seeds where the ground is fertile and will produce, but am I always doing so. This morning I am reading in Matthew and the parable of the sower that Jesus tells to the people. In it, Jesus gives the picture of a sower having seeds fall on the path, the rocky ground, the thorns, and the good soil. The results were different in each instance with only the good soil yielding the harvest.

“³And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’” — Matthew 13:3-8 (ESV)

There is a lot going on here in this parable from Jesus. I am looking at the whole of it this morning. As I am reading there are a couple of things that I see that make me think. One, the sower is seemingly “careless” with what he is sowing. Two, it is not until the seeds are on with the good soil that they produce lasting and fruitful results.

With number one, the sower is on the task of sowing seeds. That is what is the purpose of going out, and yet there are seeds falling in areas where they are not specifically set to be sewn. The seeds are falling on the path, the rocky ground, within the thorns, and then on the good soil. The sower is just allowing for the seeds to fall where they may. As I look at it, and you will see in the previous paragraph, this seems “careless”. Why would the sower not just guard the seeds to be specifically sewn in the good soil only. I think that it would be a much better result and more fruitful to get the seeds to where they are going to do the most good. But, I have to also think that the most good as I see it may not be the most good that God sees.

Number two shows that it is indeed the seeds falling on the good soil where the most abundant reaping is taking place. The seeds are accepted and produce fruitful lasting results. This is the place where I believe all sowers would want there seeds to be sewn. I know that I believe that we should focus on getting things right and not just getting them done. Getting it right in this instance is the ensuring that the seeds are placed in the location where they are able to do the most good, in the good soil. But again, what I believe to be the most good, may not be the most good that God sees.

These two points lead me to this. God has seeds for us to sow. Where, yes, He wants the most fruitful and bountiful harvest from the seeds we sow, He will get just that wherever our seeds fall. If the seeds seemingly carelessly fall on the path, the harvest is food for the birds that He has created and remember;

“²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” — Matthew 6:26 (ESV)

As the seeds fall on the rocky ground, the grow quickly where the glory of God is seen that He is over all and even in such a difficult situation, good can come. And then we have the thorns where the seeds fall. Here there is no life as the good of the seeds are choked out, yet even Jesus had dinner with tax collectors sowing the seed of the gospel, because we never know who might hear and take forward with them. And then there is the seed that “falls” on the good soil. These seeds are able to take root and produce a bountiful harvest to be reaped. Yet, they may not have been meant for that good soil as they happened to just find it in the falling. These seeds produced for someone who was in need in the moment and provides for the children of God.

I know that God has a plan for all that we are. I know that He will win in all. It is my duty to simply sow and not be concerned with just getting the seeds to the good soil. I have to sow and sow and sow, regardless of where. By doing so, God is allowed to do His work with and for those who need it. These opportunities may the chance for them to receive the gospel provision supplied by Him.

Where are you sowing? Are you focused on getting your seeds to the good soil? What if you just sowed and allowed God to do His work with the seeds He has given to you to sow?

I have shifted gears a bit in my study to look into the word “sow”. I am wanting to learn more about what I am giving and receiving and the first passage I am reading in is found in Job.

“⁸As I have seen, those who plow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same.”

— Job 4:8 (ESV)

I see here that when I give or sow I will get back or receive more of the same. Expecting for to be different is just that, expecting. Reality will be certainly different than my expectation. I will not ultimately receive that which is the opposite of what I am giving.

That last sentence above is something that I have to dive into a bit more as it may be a bit confusing in the beginning of what we reap based on what we sow. I see too often where the immediate return on the sowing of something is deceptive. I think of those who commit crimes who find themselves with a sudden windfall of great things like wealth and power, only to have it all come crashing down some time later when they are found out to have sowed in the realm of evil. The same can be said for those who are doing the will of the LORD where they sow great service and love for others only to not see any return immediately after, who are cared for later in their lives by someone giving that love back to them.

I have to be careful when looking into the reaping of what I am sowing and know that the immediate return may not be the return that is from the reaping at all. I have to remember that it is not about the return or the reaping that the sowing is done. I should not expect really any return other than the thanks from God for doing the work. I have to remember that it is not about me and that God will provide the return based on His plan and not my expectation.

My work here of sharing my thoughts on my Bible Study are an example of the expectation not meeting reality. I originally was hesitant in sharing my thoughts as I believed they were for me and not for others. Someone convinced me to share out of accountability to a small group and as time went on, I was more and more comfortable with my sharing. Yet, I was not getting any real acknowledgment of goodness that I was reaching people, and I gave thought to not sharing any longer and just keeping my thoughts between God and me. And then a friend caught me in the grocery store and one of the first things said was how he was continually impacted by my sharing and I was reinvigorated to continue. And now I am working on additional ways to share.

My expectation was one of immediate recognizable return and I believe maybe to be puffed up with how much I was doing. God in His infinite wisdom said no and that I was doing what was asked of me and I would be rewarded in the time and way that He saw fit. I was simply to sow and allow God to do His part and I would reap in due time.

I will reap what I sow. Sometimes that return on my giving will not be immediate and yet I must continue with the sowing as the LORD has instructed. I will reap that which is right and due based on my fulfillment of the work assigned me by God. I simply sow that which I have been entrusted and allow the LORD to do His work and provide the harvest He has for me in His time.

What is it that you are sowing and expecting something different than what you receive? Are you seeing a return on your giving that does not seem right, in the moment? What if you were to just do the work and allow God to provide the return in His time as opposed to expecting things to go the way you want them?