Your good works won't get you into Heaven, but they very well could help to get someone else in!!!

Psalms 126:5-6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

We've been thinking about sowing and reaping, but I don't think we really get the full impact of this parable. Most people nowadays know very little about farming or gardening. I know enough to know that it is not easy. I remember working on the farm as a young boy. It was hot, hard work. People don't take up farming as a career because they want to kick back and relax.

Likewise, working for God is a constant struggle. We struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Much like a farmer fights the elements, a Christian must fight the forces of evil. God doesn't offer instant gratification. We must be faithful and leave the timing to Him. Christ doesn't care about making us comfortable or happy, He cares about making us useful and fruitful.

It is true that our daily walk is not easy, but we must also remember that it is worth it. It is worth every tear we cry. It is worth every battle we fight. It is worth every hardship, heartache, and humbling experience we encounter. When we reap the harvest for the seeds we've sown, we will be grateful for every stump and rock we had to dig out. We won't regret working for the Lord and we won't fail to be rewarded for one bit of effort exerted for the glory of God.

The seed the Christian is called to sow is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must share the good news with others. The main work of the Christian is evangelism. We do this to bring glory to God. He is glorified when we faithfully obey his command to "preach the Gospel to every creature".

When I read these verses I noticed 3 things;

1. THE SACRED ASSIGNMENT (our work is not natural, it’s supernatural) God's work goes against our self-serving nature.
A. UNDERTAKING ( He that GOETH FORTH) we must start, get up and go
B. UNDERSTANDING (TEARS; WEPETH - seeing the urgency of sharing the Gospel) (BEARING - doing whatever it takes, )

2. SUPERNATURAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT (PRECIOUS SEED) We must realize that God is the one who is working through us. We can't do this work alone.
A. TRUSTING (obedience) we can’t make it grow, we just plant the seed. God does the work.
B. TIMING (delayed gratification) There are no shortcuts in the ministry.

3. SUPREME ACCOMPLISHMENT (Completing the work and Realizing the benefits of serving HIM.)
A. REAPING (Shall reap; Bringing his sheaves with him) Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.
B. REJOICING (in joy; shall doubtless come again rejoicing) Those who take pleasure in God, get pleasure from God)

We are truly in the seed sowing business. We plant and water, but GOD gives the increase. We must remember that we were saved by Grace, not works, but we were saved for good works, not grace. Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Your good works won't get you into Heaven, but they very well could help to get someone else in!!!

Thank you Father for including me in your plans. Thank you for the privilege to do your work. Give me the wisdom and strength to serve you faithfully. May I reap all that you have planned in my life so that I may one day lay down my rewards at your feet, because you deserve my best. You deserve so much more than I can do. Please do in me and through me all that You desire. Bring glory to yourself and your Son. You are Worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.

Where do I start?

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Christian life has so much more to do with what we DO than it does with what we DON"T DO!!! The author starts out by telling us the Blessing of abstaining from evil, but he goes on and tells us the secret power behind this abstinence. I have tried many times to keep from doing the wrong thing, but it sometimes seems impossible. Where do I start my list. If I were to write down all of the things I shouldn't be doing, the list would be miles long. What is empowering this "blessed man" to sidestep satan's trap doors. The way to keep from doing the wrong thing is by doing the right thing.

The right thing for every Christian to do is to delight in God's Word! What does it mean to delight in God's Word?

Delight implies a Savoring. It means to appreciate, to acknowledge worth, or to hold in high esteem. We should Savor God's Word because it is truth, transforming, and timeless.

Delight indicates Satisfaction. If we are satisfied with God's Word, Will, and Way, we will not fall into the pitfalls of this world. Is God enough for us or do we feel that we need more to be fulfilled?

Delight involves Sacrifice. It takes commitment to meditate in God's Word "Day and night". It takes more than a half-hearted, "yeah it's great BUT..." attitude. We must delight to the point of discipline. We must decide it is worth the cost.

If we want to be sure to reap a good harvest we must have a steady diet of God's Word. We cannot will ourselves out of poor choices or bad decisions. We must be prepared for them before the dilemma ever occurs. Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalms 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

I am counting on God's Word to guide my thoughts, which become actions, which become habits, which becomes charachter, which determines my destiny.

Lord Jesus, Please develop a love and affection in my heart for things above. Take my eyes from the secondary things of this world and instill a passon in my heart for your Word. Show me the things I should be doing and keep me from that which does not bring you glory. "For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the glory forever. Amen."

You want the good news or the bad news?

The Good news is you reap what you sow... the Bad news is you reap what you sow. I heard the saying, "you reap what you sow" all of my life, but it never really sank in... that is... until I started reaping!!!
The Sowing is the easy part! The reaping... now that's a different story. Let's look at a few verses that make this point.

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalms 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Proverbs 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Hosea 8:7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

Hosea 10:13-14 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Pretty heavy, huh? I am still reaping things in my life that I sowed years ago. Negative things. Things that aren't any fun. And that's really kind of funny because I remember the sowing being all sorts of fun! Why does the reaping stink so badly? Why are the consequences of my actions always so hard to swallow?

I always heard this saying used in the negative sense and I always thought of it negatively. It was like a prophecy of impending doom to take all the fun out of all the bad stuff you do. And that's ok! After all, this truth can be a pretty strong deterrent from living any old way you want. But I realized one day that there is also a positive side to this sowing and reaping thing. Sure I had to pay the price for all of those wild oats I had haphazardly thrown into the wind, but what if I started sowing good things??? Yea, what if I started planting some quality seed in the field of my life, wouldn't I have a good harvest to look forward to for a change? Absolutely. As a matter of fact Psalms 1 gives the positive aspect first! Psalms 126:5 is positive. Proverbs 11:18 also includes the positive. Galatians 6:8 ends with the positive.

How did I miss that all those years? I'm sure it wasn't added to the pages of Scripture after I became of age. Maybe all I heard was the negative because I knew that was where I was living. I wasn't doing a lot of good sowing in those days.

A crazy thing just happened! As I was typing the last few lines I heard tires squealing and I jumped up and ran to the window. It turns out a small truck had pulled into the dirt field across from my house and had started doing donuts. As I thought about calling the cops he finished up and left as quickly as he arrived. Well, not exactly as quickly, because as he pulled back onto the road he did it with only 3 good tires. The front left tire was as flat as a pancake and he was riding down the road on his designer rims. I guess if you sow stupid, you reap a flat tire! Wow, talk about having a point illustrated right before your eyes. That was cool. (at least from where I sit)

I'm going to dig in here for a few days, plow the field of this good old saying, and try to harvest some thoughts that will help me get down a few more rows.

God please forgive me for the careless and foolish things I've done in the past, help me to avoid the same mistakes today, and teach me through the consequences that my main goal should be to draw closer to you. Help me to live a life that will bring glory to your Name. I fall so short of doing that all too often. I'm ready to sow the seed that will grow, be harvested, and put into your barns and not my own! Help me to be a servant that does your work your way. Thank you for allowing my stupid decisions to be turned into instruments of reproof in your hands. "Take me, break me, mold me, and make me. I want to do your will oh God."

Accountability...

I am starting this as a challenge to myself to be more organized and faithful in my Bible Studies every day. I can't wait to look back and see how regular or irregular the posts are. It's like golf... if you never keep score accurately you never know if you've gotten any better. I guess we'll see what happens... my guess is... there will be much room for improvement. LORD HELP ME...Please.