September 7 - Repost #7

God continually encourages us in Scripture to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world, bringing the world to Jesus, doing whatever it takes to ensure that the world around us is invited to be a part of the greatest thing that has ever happened to humanity.  In this lesson, the thing that strikes me the strongest is that God promises abundance of blessings for those who carry the seeds of His word to the world!  It won't wear us out, it will energize us.  How can we ignore this?  We can't ... not and call ourselves His children.

September 14, 2009 - Contains Seed for the Sower

"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." Psalm 126:6

I began writing today's lesson thinking about our responsibility as Christians to spread the Word of God and that we are provided with all of the tools we need. These passages for today tell us that the Bible contains the seed that we can use as we sow the truths of the Gospel in the world.

But, then I re-read that first verse from Psalm 126.

How can we take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and not be energized and renewed? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:10, "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."

So ... as we use up the seed planted in us by God, he not only supplies more, but increases our supply and enlarges the harvest!

All of this wraps around the parable that Jesus teaches in Mark 4:14-20. "The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path where the word is sown. AS soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive 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. Still others, like seed sown among thorns hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

There is a never-ending supply of seed, but not only does it increase within us as we share it, it also produces an enormous crop when sown on good soil! God's Word is incredible! It fills us up as we share it and just as Isaiah says in Isaiah 55:11, "...so is the 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."

God promises us abundance when we share His Word. By increasing the power of His Word within us, He promises us restoration as we share it. There is no possible way that we can go into the world and tell of His love and the love of the Savior and then have nothing left to give when we are finished.

If we leave with weeping, we will return with rejoicing!