Sow the Kind of Crop you Want to Reap - Daily Devotional October 28, 2009

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 25, Daniel 6, Acts 5-6

Sow the Kind of Crop you Want to Reap

As I read through the scriptures for today, I was impressed with the different responses the people in these chapters had to challenges in their lives. In 2 Chronicles 25 Amaziah, king of Judah, started out on the right track, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But the scripture says "not wholeheartedly." As the account of his life goes on it is evident that he is running things himself. He didn't consult the Lord about hiring 100,000 soldiers from Israel and it backfired on him. A man of God told him those troops must not march with Judah because the Lord was not with them. So he did send them home, but the soldiers were angry and while he was out fighting the Edomites they raided Judean towns. Then he set up gods he had captured as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. When the man of God challenged him on this he lashed out, "Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop" In other words, "Shut up." Verse 16. He was eventually captured by the king of Israel and the temple and palace were plundered.

Daniel 6 has the well-known account of Daniel being thrown into the den of lions because he would not stop praying to God and pray to the king instead. It was said of Daniel that they could find no corruption in him because he was trustworthy, neither corrupt nor negligent. Those plotting against him knew they could never find a basis for charges against him unless it had something to do with the law of his God. What a testimony!!! In direct contrast with Amaziah who did not serve the Lord wholeheartedly, Daniel did not swerve from praying to the Lord even under threat of being thrown to lions. God honored Daniel's faithfulness and shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel was brought out of the den without a scratch on him. Interestingly, his enemies, along with their families, were then thrown to the lions.

Then we come to the New Testament where Ananias and Sapphira lied about the amount of money they were donating to the church. There was no reason for them to lie other than they wanted to appear more generous than they were. They could have kept back any amount of money they wanted from the sale of their property and still have donated some but they wanted it to appear that they had given everything. Instead they lost everything, including their lives.

The Lord was using the apostles to perform miracles and healings which filled the high priest and Sadducees with jealousy but when they threw the apostles in prison the angel of the Lord rescued them. Even though they were released, they were flogged first. They rejoiced because they had been counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord. Stephen was chosen to wait on tables but because he was full of the Holy Spirit he did signs and wonders among the people. This roused the ire of the leaders of the Synagogue. In the next chapter he became the first martyr of the New Testament church.

Gal. 6:7 says "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." In the case of Amaziah, Ananias and Sapphira, they reaped the judgment of God because they sowed rebellion, idolatry and lies. Daniel, the apostles and Stephen, because they stayed true to the Lord and even suffered for him, reaped the blessing of God and eternal life.

We are all sowing every day of our lives. In every situation we make decisions about how we are going to live. The choice is ours and ours alone. Do we go our own way like Amaziah, or be people of integrity like Daniel? Do we want to appear something we are not like Ananias and Sapphira, or live a life full of the Holy Spirit like the apostles and Stephen and let the Lord do his work through us? Whatever our decision is, that's the kind of crop we'll reap. Be sure to sow the crop that you want to harvest.

Tomorrow's Bible Reading - 2 Chronicles 26-27, Daniel 7, Acts 7

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman