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Posts Tagged ‘sowing’

Relationship Building Principle-Making Plans That Honor God

February 4th, 2015 No comments

JOHN SHIRK -Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Proverbs 14:22.

“Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.”

Plans indicate our intentions to act. This verse is referring to the principle of sowing and reaping.

If we sow evil plans, we will stray off course from God’s intended will for our lives, and the outcome leads to confusion, dissension, and pain. Someone gets hurt when evil plans are carried out. If our plans are evil, God’s remedy is for us to turn back before we carry out those plans.

If the Lord directs our plans, those plans will be consistent with love and faithfulness, and good fruit will flow out of our actions. A generous person who refreshes others will be refreshed. What we send out is often what comes back. Those who plan what is good open the door for thriving relationships and for the name of the Lord to be honored.

Making plans that are good in the eyes of the Lord is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

LIFE APPLICATION TRUTH-SOWING AND REAPING

November 7th, 2012 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – From Hosea 10:12.

“Sow for yourselves righteousness, 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 righteousness on you.”

Unattended soil is unproductive dirt. It just lays there, not producing anything that can be turned into food. This kind of soil is compared to the heart that is resistant to the Gospel. However, breaking up the unplowed ground of our heart is comparable to making our heart tender to God. We become receptive to the word of the Lord, and that word becomes a seed that springs forth a productive crop that leads to eternal life. The seed of God’s Word also produces the righteousness of Christ in us as we accept His message of grace by faith.

Choices have outcomes. We cannot expect good fruit to form out of bad seeds. Galatians 6:7 says, “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.” Seeking the LORD prepares our heart to receive the word of the LORD so that we might be trained in His righteousness and live a productive life.

Planting God’s Word in our heart is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com