Words, Deeds and Seeds

Proverb 12: 14

A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.

You will see this proverb again. Because there were so many good verses to choose from, I will return here after Labor Day when we resume our normal schedule. I have added a link for the entire proverb again so you can see for yourself how rich it is.

God’s kingdom works differently than the world system. The Bible is an instruction manual leading us into the truths of life. In today’s verse we are given a great insight but as we look at it closely we find that it stands in direct opposition to the way most of us have been taught.

This passage reveals that success comes from our words, rather than our hands. Our hands, it says, are sowers of seed. Now, of course, seed bears a crop. That crop will be good if the seed was good or bad if the seed was bad. So, I am thinking of this verse as identifying that what you sow with your actions will return to you. Sow kindness, reap kindness. Sow selfishness, reap selfishness.

Your success, though, is in your mouth. What are you saying??? We cannot be overly cautious about the words of our mouths. I know sometimes we use phrases in a joking manner but honestly, why would we do that? Why would we say stupid stuff even in jest?  When I read that a person’s life is filled with the fruit of his words it warns me that I should guard my mouth and ALL the words I speak. For example, I am never “scared to death.” And, you may be annoying me but I don’t need to say, “You’re killing me here.” There are dozens of examples in that vein but let’s shift gears a bit. We do the same thing with our health and our welfare. “I’m so broke I can’t pay attention.” Look again at the verse. We are filled with good by the fruit of our words. Therefore, we must speak good, and that means speaking good about our financial wellbeing, our health, and every other aspect of life. “God blesses me in everything I do. The blessing of God is following me around. God blesses my pocketbook. God meets my every need.” Those statements are just as easy to say as anything else and they are not only true, but they are ultimate truth.

Tune in to the power in your words. Speak prosperity, health and wholeness. Meanwhile sow good seed with your actions. Be kind to others considering their needs above your own (Philippians 2: 3). Sow generosity, tolerance and patience. These shall return to you.

Proverb 12

 

Digging Holes

Psalm 7: 15 – 16

He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his on his own head.

At this time of the year every year you can find me watching the Tour de France. In the first stage of this year’s race one of the best sprinters in the world crashed towards the end of the race and unfortunately was injured and is out of the race. It was particularly sad because this rider is British and they were racing on British soil. Moreover, the stage ended that day in his mother’s home town. It was a potential fairy tale ending that concluded in disaster. On the slow motion replay one could see that the rider who crashed out had caused the accident by leaning on and pushing another racer.

So often we are the victims of our own malfeasance. That is how the universe works. In Galatians 6: 7 we are told, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, the he will also reap.” Paul writes, God is not mocked. He told us thousands of years ago that if we dig a pit for others, we are the ones who will be ensnared. Whatever we sow, that shall we reap. This is a universal principle that cannot be avoided.

The good news is that it works in a positive direction as well. When you sow peace you reap peace. When you sow kindness, you reap kindness. Now you can put this principle to work in your life. Whatever you need, sow towards it. Plant a tomato in order to get a tomato.

What you see in your life is a result of the seeds you have sown in the past. The future is completely predictable. Your life will reflect the seeds you sow and the words of your mouth because words are also seeds. So, determine what you want your future to look like and plant those seeds then keep your language consistent with your goals. God is not mocked. What He said years ago still holds, whatever you sow, you shall reap so get out there and plant some good seeds.