Planting and Sowing

Holy Land Picture of the Day

The Coastal Plain Today's picture is of Israel's Coastal Plain, with the great city of Tel Aviv visible along the shores of the Mediterranean. It reminds us of  Numbers 34:6; "as for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea, that is, its coastline; this shall be your west border"   “Give and it will be given to you.  They will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38 Hey Gang:  Did you ever read a book penned by human hands that when read a second time you found a totally different picture being painted?   Have you ever thought how very amazing it is, that you can read the same passage in the Word of God ten days in a row and get a different understanding each time of what God is teaching you? But there is a prerequisite to that wondrous blessing: we have to be part of God’s intimate family. A college professor announced to his class that they would use the Bible in the course of study, but only from the literary standpoint.  He further stated that it is a wonderful book with wonderful stories but that is what they are – wonderful stories. “I get no special messages when I read it”. After class a young lady came up to him and informed him the Bible is God's love letter to his children and you must be part of the family to understand what He is saying. How many know that we have no idea when God is going to plant a seed through us?   Several days ago, I ran into an acquaintance of yesteryear who astounded me when he said, “you probably did not realize it at the time, but you said a kind word to me that not  only changed my day but also planted a seed in my heart that has grown steadily since that day". It drove home the point that we are Johnny Appleseed’s and plant seeds; some good, some neutral but others change lives wherever we go.  Notice in the Scripture of the day,  the word 'measure'.  I believe it is one of the more important words in the Bible for it tells us we are responsible to give and it is in the same measure that we give that God will  give back to us. Paul wrote, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”.  Now notice Paul’s next words- “Each one  must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:6-7).   Soooo, my young friends, are you a Johnny Appleseed and have your bag of seeds attached to your hip?  There is no greater joy than to have someone from your past come up to you and say,"Hey, did you know you planted a seed in my heart that changed my life?!"  Blessings,    Gramps