Evening

September 23

Galatians 6:8-10 ⁸The 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. ⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

The law of sowing and reaping is a concept that we should be aware of in everything we do. Paul often describes things as either black or white. In this passage he tells us that when we sow, we sow either to please our sinful nature or to please the Spirit. It can be a litmus test for our decisions about our actions. Ask yourself, "By this action, which of the two am I aiming to please?" Then consider the consequences, or results, from the choice.

Sowing to please the sinful nature will reap destruction. Sin's wages are death. Satan has come to kill, steal, and destroy. Every time you sow to the flesh you participate in his kingdom and will harvest his fruits. There may be pleasure for a short time, but the harvest is on its way. When it comes, we often complain to God asking, "How could You let this happen?" We reap the results of our actions. We want God to intervene and cause His laws of consequence to be overruled by grace, but He wants us to learn this law. It will help us to do what is right the next time if we have to endure the consequences of our actions.

The other side of the coin is the reward of sowing to please the Spirit. There is a harvest of eternal life to be reaped. That does not just mean our salvation, but includes it. When you chose to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are sowing to the Spirit. When you choose to help a person in need, especially a fellow believer, you are sowing to the Spirit. When you do good at the leading of the Spirit, you are sowing to the Spirit and laying up an eternal reward. We reap some of the blessings of sowing goodness in this life, but most of our treasures are secure in heaven. To which are you sowing to please by your choices today?

Consider: This law of sowing and reaping is true in every decision we make.