Gal. 6:7-8
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
DAILY READING – 2 Corinthians 10; 2 Kings 23:36-24:20; Habakkuk 1
In 1938, as Hitler killed Jews in the holocaust, Jewish parents sought to flee Czechoslovakia. But finding they couldn’t get visas for the whole family, they desperately wanted at least to get their children to safety. At this time, Nicholas Winton, a 29-year-old British stockbroker working in Czechoslovakia, decided to help. He contacted the governments of some nations for evacuation of Jewish children, but only Sweden and Britain gave a positive response. Through Newspaper Adverts, he was able to locate foster parents who would take in these Jewish children. It was very emotional as anxious Jewish parents brought their children for this evacuation, knowing they may never see them again. Winston ran a race against time trying to rescue as many children as possible before Hitler’s army arrived Czechoslovakia. He managed to organize 8 transports that departed from Prague Railway Station to Britain, bringing the total of rescued children to 669. On September 1, 1939 the biggest transport of 250 children was to take place, but on that day Hitler invaded Poland, and all borders controlled by Germany were closed. Within hours of the announcement, the train containing the 250 children was captured by Hitler’s army and none of the children were ever seen again. Winton was heartbroken. This put an end to his rescue efforts. The vision of the 250 children waiting eagerly at the Station for that last aborted transport would haunt Winston for many years to come. Winton decided to close that chapter of his life, and after the war he didn’t tell anyone, not even his wife about his wartime rescue efforts. But in 1988, a half century later, his wife found in their attic, a scrapbook from 1939, detailing Winston’s rescue operations. She promptly alerted the media, who took interest and gave coverage to the story. Winston was invited to a BBC television program, where unknown to him, the children he helped rescue now adults had gathered to tell him a special thank you. Emotions ran high, when he finally came face to face with these people. Among those saved, many had become prominent members of the society. Winston could barely contain himself as they all stood in ovation and applauded him. As a result of this wartime rescue efforts, he also received many international awards and recognition from various nations.
We may sometimes face situations, where it seems our efforts have been buried. We can especially get discouraged if we don’t see the immediate result of our labor. At those times negative thoughts bombard our minds telling us, “It’s over’. However it all depends on our perspective. The only difference between being buried and being planted is the expectancy of what’s going to happen next. When you go through disappointments, or don’t get the immediate rewards for your efforts, you may begin to feel overwhelmed, burdened or even buried. But the fact is, you’ve simply been planted. That means no matter how low you may have gone, you are coming right up again. And you’re not just going to come back, you’re coming back multiplied, better, increased, and stronger.
In John 12:24, Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
On the surface, planting and burying look the same; both involve digging into the ground. However what is planted has a future; new life grows from it. While, for that which is buried, it is dead and over with it.
On this day many years ago, Jesus was crucified and buried in a dark tomb. On the surface it looked as if it was all over. But the tomb was not His final destination. The grave could not hold Him. Three days later, He arose majestically to bring many sons unto glory.
In the same way, just because you may be in a dark place now, doesn’t mean that it is your final destination. You are only in transition. You are coming back better and greater. Despite the challenges that you may have experienced, God wants you to live with the revelation that you are coming back stronger and better. Indeed our efforts when we do good are never in vain, rather it is planted. And with time we will reap the rewards of our labor. God is not unfaithful to forget our labor of love. God is indeed a rewarder.
When you sow seeds of obedience and mercy, you are sowing good seeds that will reap a harvest one day. When we sow our energy into our assignment, it will come back eventually as benefit to us. What we sow as a seed, always comes back, blossoming.
Sometimes, people can’t deal with destiny concealed, they only want destiny revealed. But the mighty oak tree has to be first planted as a small acorn, hidden in the ground for a period, before it eventually, one day, manifests as a mighty tree. Regardless of where you find yourself in life, or how tough things may sometimes look, you must constantly remind yourself that you’ve been planted and not buried. That means a reward is surely coming one day. You will reap the harvest of what you have sown. You will get double for all your trouble. And your labour shall never be in vain. The bible says in Psalm 119:71 “It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learn Your statues.” If you just trust God in the process you will come out better than when you went in.
When you put a seed in the ground you don’t say, “I’m burying this seed,” you say, “I am planting this seed,” because you expect something better to come out of it. In the same way, no matter where you may find yourself, because you have the seed of Almighty God on the inside, you will always come out greater and stronger. What looks buried around you, God will cause to spring forth into better and greater things.
PRAYER: Lord please help me to know that as I serve You my labour can never be in vain. I know that indeed I will reap the harvest of every good seed I have ever sown. Thank You Lord for granting me the patience to wait until my season comes in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
God is preparing you for the season He prepared for your breakthrough WORDBITE 222.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK OPEN HEAVENS]