CaPowell
Participating member
- Location
- Stillwater, OK
Happy New Year, everyone! I may not be very active in regards to post counts on here, but I have learned so much from this community and truly appreciate all of you guys and have learned so much from all of your tree knowledge. With that being said, I’ll dive right in to my post.
What if I told you that I saw a walnut on an oak tree? Or an apple on an orange tree? You would probably laugh me out of the room. You would probably think I need to have my eyes checked or my ISA certification revoked. Why? There is a universal law that you reap what you sow. Oak trees produce acorns. If you plant corn, you grow corn. No watermelon vine has ever produced a nice plump pumpkin, or any sort of pumpkin at all for that matter.
Did you know that this is a spiritual law as well? “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” That is found in Galatians 6:7-8.
I’m not big on new year’s resolutions, but now seems like a good time for us to all examine our lives and take a moment to look at what we have been sowing. Are you being intentional with your life? Are you deliberate with your time? Do you guard your heart? What are you cultivating? Are you kind and caring? Would anyone say that you are living a life of love? Are you selfish and consumed with money, sex, or drugs? What consumes your thoughts and time?
There seems to be another law that says you don’t have to plant weeds. They pop up on their own and if one is not diligent, they will soon take over. I know this has been true in my life- sometimes, I feel like I spend more time pulling up the weeds sown carelessly in my youth than anything else. What kind of weeds are growing in the garden of your heart?
Not only do you reap what you sow, you expect to reap more than what you sow. A kernel of corn produces more than one kernel of corn. It produces multiple ears of corn. One man may plant the rows of corn, but it may take ten men to harvest it. One seed produces many more. Look at the giant oak that came from a small acorn. How many acorns fall in the yard once the tree is mature? This principle is readily evident in our lives. How many men have sown careless glances that grew and matured into affairs that ruined their marriages?
I would like to challenge you to sow something to God this year. Maybe you don’t believe in God. That’s okay. I still challenge you. It won’t take much time (surely you can trade an hour of two of tv for one week). If it doesn’t work, you can pick on me afterwards. Here it is: dust off the old Bible and read one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). Not only that, but pray that if it is true, God would reveal it to you. Maybe you don’t believe in God. That’s okay too. I still challenge you to pray, “God, I don’t know if you are real and if you even exist. If you do, please make it clear to me. I don’t know if the Bible is reliable or not, if it is really your word. If you are out there, and the Bible is your word, please make it known to me.” I guarantee you that if you are brave enough to accept this challenge and pray this prayer with a sincere heart, God will reveal Himself to you.
Maybe you have sown weeds your whole life. Maybe you have ruined your business, your marriage, or your relationship with your children or friends. Maybe you are depressed. Whoever you are, know this, God loves you. He wants a relationship with you. Jesus Christ led a perfect life and died for your sins because He loves you and wants good for you. He is your ticket to Heaven. This is God’s free gift to you. There is an empty tomb to attest to this. The only thing you have to do is repent and believe.
Did you know that the Bible says everyone will live forever? It’s true. It doesn’t say everyone’s life will be the same though. Some will reap eternal life and others eternal condemnation. Eternity is a long time. Think about your climbing line. If it’s not spliced, you probably have a piece of tape on the end of it. The length of the tape compared to the length of the line is a good illustration of how long our measly seventy or eighty years on earth is compared to eternity. Are you willing to bet eternity on the correctness of your atheism? This is so important! Won’t you accept this challenge?
What if I told you that I saw a walnut on an oak tree? Or an apple on an orange tree? You would probably laugh me out of the room. You would probably think I need to have my eyes checked or my ISA certification revoked. Why? There is a universal law that you reap what you sow. Oak trees produce acorns. If you plant corn, you grow corn. No watermelon vine has ever produced a nice plump pumpkin, or any sort of pumpkin at all for that matter.
Did you know that this is a spiritual law as well? “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” That is found in Galatians 6:7-8.
I’m not big on new year’s resolutions, but now seems like a good time for us to all examine our lives and take a moment to look at what we have been sowing. Are you being intentional with your life? Are you deliberate with your time? Do you guard your heart? What are you cultivating? Are you kind and caring? Would anyone say that you are living a life of love? Are you selfish and consumed with money, sex, or drugs? What consumes your thoughts and time?
There seems to be another law that says you don’t have to plant weeds. They pop up on their own and if one is not diligent, they will soon take over. I know this has been true in my life- sometimes, I feel like I spend more time pulling up the weeds sown carelessly in my youth than anything else. What kind of weeds are growing in the garden of your heart?
Not only do you reap what you sow, you expect to reap more than what you sow. A kernel of corn produces more than one kernel of corn. It produces multiple ears of corn. One man may plant the rows of corn, but it may take ten men to harvest it. One seed produces many more. Look at the giant oak that came from a small acorn. How many acorns fall in the yard once the tree is mature? This principle is readily evident in our lives. How many men have sown careless glances that grew and matured into affairs that ruined their marriages?
I would like to challenge you to sow something to God this year. Maybe you don’t believe in God. That’s okay. I still challenge you. It won’t take much time (surely you can trade an hour of two of tv for one week). If it doesn’t work, you can pick on me afterwards. Here it is: dust off the old Bible and read one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). Not only that, but pray that if it is true, God would reveal it to you. Maybe you don’t believe in God. That’s okay too. I still challenge you to pray, “God, I don’t know if you are real and if you even exist. If you do, please make it clear to me. I don’t know if the Bible is reliable or not, if it is really your word. If you are out there, and the Bible is your word, please make it known to me.” I guarantee you that if you are brave enough to accept this challenge and pray this prayer with a sincere heart, God will reveal Himself to you.
Maybe you have sown weeds your whole life. Maybe you have ruined your business, your marriage, or your relationship with your children or friends. Maybe you are depressed. Whoever you are, know this, God loves you. He wants a relationship with you. Jesus Christ led a perfect life and died for your sins because He loves you and wants good for you. He is your ticket to Heaven. This is God’s free gift to you. There is an empty tomb to attest to this. The only thing you have to do is repent and believe.
Did you know that the Bible says everyone will live forever? It’s true. It doesn’t say everyone’s life will be the same though. Some will reap eternal life and others eternal condemnation. Eternity is a long time. Think about your climbing line. If it’s not spliced, you probably have a piece of tape on the end of it. The length of the tape compared to the length of the line is a good illustration of how long our measly seventy or eighty years on earth is compared to eternity. Are you willing to bet eternity on the correctness of your atheism? This is so important! Won’t you accept this challenge?
