Sowing

A word of exhortation

"He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." (Eccl.11:4).

These words may be summed up as unnecessary caution. It describes the position of one who fears to act lest...; something is holding him back; he notes the wind and postpones the sowing until a more favourable day; he beholds the clouds and defers the reaping. Several ways of applying the teaching come readily to the mind. We may think of one who knows somewhat of the purposes of God, he realises his great debt to God and Christ for the work of salvation unmerited and free. He feels that his gratitude for all should show itself in more than verbal thanks. He has come to that point which we refer to as Rom.12:1. He knows that the Christian way is no easy road, and he hesitates. Observing the winds he fails to sow. In such a position of mind the winds may well increase and storm clouds gather. He may think within himself: "I must think this over more," but in reality he fears to "touch things which involve so much." Maybe he believes he is counting the cost, but in fact he is merely counting the debits and omitting the credits. He feels the winds and sees the gathering clouds, but has forgotten the sunshine. He is thinking of the risks, and the result of his supposed counting‑the‑cost is only miscalculation. (We cannot, in fact, count the cost, for much more is involved in the life of consecration than ever we supposed as we commenced the pathway. All will now agree that the cost as it works out in our lives is far different from what we supposed or expected). He is forgetting the important fact that whereas there will be storms, the providences of God are greater than the storms. God has not promised that there will be no storm or wind, but He has promised abundant blessing. Whatever he thinks within his heart, he should yield himself to God and get on with the sowing. He will meet winds he never thought of, receive providences he would not have dreamed of when first he knew the Lord and will reap more than he anticipated. We recall that to Israel God promised fruitful fields so that they could safely sow and reap. He did not promise no storm or wind, but He promised bountiful crops, and the providences of God provided the increase.

One of our best‑known parables commences: "A sower went forth to sow." (Matt.13:3) Had our Lord observed the winds He would not have scattered the seed which was to yield one hundred and forty‑four thousand. No sower of the word encountered more storms than He. Had He hesitated or counted the cost we should not be where we are today. Nor did He reason in the words of his own parable that some of the seed would fall by the wayside, and some among thorns. Nor did He regard that a cloud may prevent reaping. He got on with the sowing, no storms or clouds hindering him, and God gave the increase, for some fell on good ground and yielded a hundred‑fold. He believed that the onus was on him to sow. Likewise the apostle Paul. What a great loss to the Church had he been deterred by the clouds of trouble! But what a crop because he sowed in all weathers and fields!

Recall Acts 20:21‑25. Paul observed the clouds with only a passing glance. He did not deceive himself into saying there would be no clouds, for he knew that bonds and afflictions awaited him. But no storms could prevent him testifying the gospel of the grace of God. Surely he was following the advice of Eccl.11:6. He went on sowing; he knew not "whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." He did not suppose that both might be alike bad, for he knew God would give the increase. Is it morning now? Some say so; then sow thy seed. If you think it eventide, still sow.

We might ask: Is any sowing being done now, or are the labourers regarding the winds of contrary doctrine? Or are they regarding the clouds of trouble and neglecting the reaping? We have all heard the winds of doctrine that hold the sowers back. One wind says: "It is reaping time; do not sow." Another says: "It is sowing time; reaping is over." And still another says: "It is reaping time, and sowing is to be deferred until the plough‑share of trouble has prepared the ground afresh." The labourer is disturbed in mind, and fails to sow. Like our Lord, like Paul, we must get on with the sowing. We do not know which will prosper, or whether both will alike be good, but we do believe that God will give the increase. And we are reaping crops of truth due to the faithful labourers of the past. Others have laboured, and we have entered into their labours.

There is another sowing to be done—not the scattering of good news, but sowing within the hearts of ourselves. It is called in the Bible sowing to the Spirit, and those disturbed by the winds which deny character‑development will not sow. (Gal.6:7‑9) What is sowing to the Spirit? Sowing to the flesh is following those practices which the flesh encourages: and "the works of the flesh are manifest." (Gal.5:19) One sows in the mind and reaps in the actions; and if the flesh continues to practise thus, another harvest results—"they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. " (Gal.5:21) So, sowing to the Spirit means sowing those graces which the Spirit prompts. Again the sowing is in the mind, and again there are two crops—fruitage in this life and then life everlasting. Keep on this sowing; "let us not be weary in (this) well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Gal.6:9) Remember, there are two crops from this sowing—the fruit of the Spirit now, and in the resurrection life everlasting. There was every encouragement to the Galatian brethren to be not weary in well‑doing and disregard the winds and clouds. Similar reasoning is made by the apostle in Rom.6:19‑23—the yielding of oneself to uncleanness leads to still further iniquity with death as result, and the yielding of our members to righteousness leads to holiness and the end everlasting life.

But in this sowing to the Spirit, what must we sow? The obvious answer (that we sow seed) must be stressed. Something with life in it! And seed is useless unless it be sowed. The seed is clearly the words of life which the Holy Spirit has given to us. Sow the word in hearts and heads—there will be fruitage. Do not leave the seed in the packet! Millions have Bibles, but leave the words unopened and unsown. In another way of reasoning we must sow that which we hope to reap. If we want a crop of turnips we sow turnip seed—no other seed will do. And so, if we desire the fruitage of love, joy, peace, etc., we must sow these graces, or no crop will result. Some may say: "We need more brotherly love"—and to them the answer is, sow it. But if we observe the clouds (irrespective of who caused the clouds) no sowing will be done, and we shall still be expecting more brotherly love from others, but have done nothing to encourage it. Sow these graces in our own hearts and scatter where we can—there will be a crop even now, and life everlasting awaits us.

Some have been to studies where the subject for discussion was not to their liking; few joined in, and the meeting lacked warmth. Feeling uncomfortable, they have not sown the truth, and therefore have not reaped its fruitage. But unconsciously the seeds of discontent have been sown in their hearts, and no one has profited. Some have said: "I went to the meeting and did not get a crumb." To them the answer is: "If you had brought some bread all would have had a crumb."

Let us sow the seed of truth, for this seed is alive, and must therefore reach fruition. Sow it in our own hearts and sow it in the meeting. The onus is on us to sow. It must yield because it is alive. And then we shall be able to speak as did Paul: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." (1 Cor.3:6) Speak the words of truth in the meeting, another will add further comments, and God will give the increase; and so will be found that true unity—"He that planteth and he that watereth are one." (1 Cor.3:8)

We may pick grains of sand which look like seed, yet they will give no crop; but from life‑bearing seed as small as mustard large plants will grow. We are amazed that so much results from such small seed, and we realise that God has given the increase. The growth from seed to plant is ever a mystery to man, as our Lord said in Mark 4:26‑28. So, if we sow the seeds of truth in our own hearts it cannot fail to grow, though we know not how. Then let us sow. (In the parable of the sower the grain was broadcast, not sown in selected ground. From which it may be reasoned that in the broadcasting of the gospel there is more hope of crop than in ground of our own choosing.) Do not expect fruition immediately. "We cannot eat the fruit while the tree is in blossom," said Disraeli. Patience will be needed, but there will be a crop, for it will follow the Divine rule—"first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." (Mark 4:28) It will need no super‑gardening to make it grow, for the seed has life in it. The main act of character‑development is seed sowing—God will give the increase. Does not the Bible speak to us of growth, rather than building, as its picture of character‑development? Building is the assembling of stones and wood ready cut, and differing buildings may be built with the very same material. No such difference results from growth of the same seed. If we each sow to the Spirit, we shall each reap the same crop, for character will grow, we know not how, and each will reap the same crop in the resurrection—life everlasting.

By the gift to each of the Church of the Holy Spirit, God Himself begins the sowing. It is given to every man to profit withal. This gift we could not obtain by any other means, and it is the means by which we become members of the Body of Christ, for God sets the members everyone of them in the Body as it has pleased Him. He then starts the life of character growth by His gift. Let it grow! Be filled with the Spirit; pray for the Spirit: quench not the Spirit"; and act so that the prayer will be answered. One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth; and thus it follows that we must go and dwell in those conditions where the sown seed may prosper. We must go where the words of life are to be found, for that is the seed. We must seek the fellowship of those who also have the seeds of truth; there, as it were, to exchange seeds or grains of truth; there to follow up the sown seed by watering. And, acting on the Bible paradox "that he who would have his life shall lose it," we shall sow in our own hearts by giving away the seed to our fellows. He who gives it away keeps it, for, by dispensing it becomes impressed upon his own heart and so he keeps it. Do not hoard it; do not leave the seed in the packet; give it away! Plant it; someone else will water it, and God will give the increase. We sow in fellowship; but some, regarding the winds, will think it cosier by the fireside, and will stay at home. Not sowing, they will not reap. Except that by isolating themselves they sow dissatisfaction in their own hearts and will reap its crop. And some cautious ones may say: "I am not sure that if I sow there will be fruitage," or, "I will sow a little, and if it flourishes I will sow more." To such the words of 2 Cor.9:6 seem appropriate, we shall reap as we sow—if sparingly, so we shall reap; and if bountifully, so shall we reap. The onus is on us to sow; God will give the increase.

We sometimes regard the winds even in fellowship, saying to ourselves: "I will not bring up such and such a topic," but someone is the loser, for fellowship includes the free discussions of all Bible questions. On the basis that the best meetings are those where, all contribute, remember the words of Paul: "That which every joint supplieth," (Eph.4:16) for this will make increase of the body.

Recall the error of the Galatian brethren. According to Paul, they started to sow to the Spirit, but reverted to the bondage of the flesh. After receiving the gospel of grace, they were returning to "another" gospel. "Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal.3:3) Paul was disturbed by their change, for their groundwork of justification was leaving them, and they were thinking of returning to the Law from which they had been freed in Christ. And how could they reap the fruitage of love, joy, etc., if they were sowing to the flesh? A little leaven was leavening the whole lump, for they were sowing the wrong seed. May it not be said of us: "Ye did run well; who did hinder." (Gal.5:7) Hence the exhortation of Gal.6:7‑9. "In due season we shall reap" does not mean that sometime, somehow, we shall reap; for the principle of growth is that fruition comes at its due season. In due season means the season when it is due. In the season of God’s appointing, "that day" we shall reap the eternal crop—if we faint not—if we regard not the winds.

BJD