Read: Luke 6:38 |
In this series, we have related giving of our tithes and offerings to the concept of sowing. In the series, we have Identified the where to sow/give, followed by “the when” and then “the how”. Today, we will talk about planting the seed.
God depends upon us to do the planting. We are to plant (sow) where God directs, when He directs and how He directs. We plant by giving our time, talent or treasure at the appointed and anointed location. Planting the seed causes things to happen. It activates God’s plan for the seed, blossoms our faith in God and releases blessing into our lives.
Activate God’s plan for the seed: In the movie ‘Faith Like Potatoes’, based on a true, takes place in South Africa. The story provides an example of God activating seed planted in faithful obedience. 
Angus Buchan of Scottish heritage is a farmer with an anger management issue. Angus leaves his farm in Zambia in the midst of political unrest and racially charged tensions and travels south to start a better life. He eventually accepts Christ and becomes a believer. Needing a way to earn a living for his family in the new town, Angus decides to plant a crop of potatoes against the advice of experts because he feels led by God. The country suffers unprecedented drought that year as predicted and the hope of a harvest looks bleak. With no rain, he begins to question his decision to plant potatoes in the dry dust. After waiting and seeing no results, Angus and his farm hand decide to dig up the land. Before they dig, Angus leads them in prayer.
As his farm hand digs into the soil, they are pleasantly shocked with what they find. Angus shouts exultantly, “Potatoes, big potatoes from God!” The seed he obediently planted yields crops twice the size of the expected yield from this barren looking land. The farmer had been looking for signs of rain and signs of growth above ground. All the while, there was water running underneath the ground.
The lesson is simple, our job is to plant the seed of our time, talent or treasure and leave the results to God. God will activate His plan by sending Living Water to nourish the seed. Plant the seed!
Blossom our faith and release blessings: In one of his books, Charles Allen shares a story about a new highway under construction in England. The engineers demolished a very, very old building in the path of the highway and cleared off the ground on which it stood. 
After the ground lay exposed to the sunshine and rain for some months, a wonderful thing happened. Flowers began to spring up, and botanists and naturalists from all over England came to study them. Many of the flowers were identified as plants the Romans had brought to England almost 2,000 years before. Some of the plants that sprang up are completely unknown today. Hidden there in the ground, without air and light, the seeds seemed to have died. However, they were not dead. As soon as the obstacles were cleared away, and the sunshine let in, they sprang into the fullness of their beauty.
This is what can happen in the confines of our hearts. As we plant for Him, His light enters new areas that we submit to him and blossoms new growth in our lives. As we tear down the walls between our will and His will, we let the Son in. As a result of submitting to Him, new growth and blessings flow into our lives.
We are created and equipped to serve and to sow. God wants us to be a part of His plan. He wants to grow and blossom us into a more Christ-like image of Him at the same time. Plant the seed and become a producer!
