Sow = Verb meaning to plant (seed) by scattering it on or in the earth, seed, plant, strew, spread, disseminate
Leviticus 25:3-5 (NIV) 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.
Psalm 107:37-38 (NIV)
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them,
and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.
Psalm 126:5-6 (NIV)
5 Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 (NIV) Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
Isaiah 55:9-11 (NIV)
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Ezekiel 36:8-10 (NIV) 8 “‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. 9 I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, 10 and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
Hosea 10:12 Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23 (NIV) The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
John 4:35-37 (NIV) 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NIV) 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Thank You, O Lord. Your Word says SOW:
Six years, then rest the land
Yield a fruitful harvest
Their numbers increased greatly
With tears & reap JOY
In the morning
His Word–it does what He sent it to do and does NOT return void
God will plow and sow US–to rebuild US!
Righteousness–reap unfailing love
The Father feeds the birds–we are worth more than they!
Lack of understanding = theft from the evil one snatching understanding from us
Rocky ground sowing is a burst of joy without a pursuit of God’s Word
Thorny sowing is worry and deceitfulness choking fruitfulness from us
Good soil sowing–Hears and understands God’s word and SHARES it; producing a bountiful crop 30, 60 100 fold
Sow NOW–the harvest is RIPE!
SOW–Perishable, dishonorable, weakness, natural body
REAP–Imperishable, glory, power, spiritual body
Sparingly or generously?
Reap what we sow…
PRAISE Your Holy Name, Mighty Father God! May we UNDERSTAND Your Holy Word, Father and SOW it into others–generously, yielding a harvest of souls for YOU, O Lord.
In Jesus Name. Amen