Experience the 100X Reaping

[S] Genesis 26:12-13 --
 ¹²Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, ¹³and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy;

[O] This was the land God told Isaac to temporarily stay in but promised to bless him there.  God did just that despite Isaac's own efforts to protect himself by hiding his real identity as Rachel's husband (deja vu with his dad).  However, in v. 12 I can see that Isaac worked to sow in that land and reaped.  In other words, all these blessings did not just fall from the sky.  And God added to his richness more for him to become very wealthy.  The focus is not about the material wealthy although God allows that to His people but on the fact that based on his sowing and reaping God was able to 100X the harvest and then some.

[A] Here I am going through this temporary region called earth and just like Isaac, God had promised me to bless me and to lead me during the stay here.  So, I also need to sow and reap where God's 100X is experienced.  Sure I want to be materially wealthy also so I won't be constrained financially for example to involve myself in His ministry, but more so than that, I would want to reap 100X of the spiritual harvest for bringing more souls into God's kingdom.  I need not forget that God can bless me in every which way as long as I stick to His side.

[P] Dear Father, Just like Isaac's blessings I ask Your blessings to reside in my family.  Please allow our family to experience the 100X harvesting of souls we sow Your seed in.  You are the one who can make the seed to grow so I ask that in Your name.  Amen.

Keep Multiplying Seed of Thanksgiving

[S] 2 Corinthians 9:6,10-11 --
 ⁶Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ¹⁰Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

[O] It is one thing to not look for what I had not sowed in the first place, but saying that I didn't have enough resources to sow in the first place is not going to work with God (or Paul) because God has an abundant quantify of His resources for us to sow to reap His harvest of righteousness which eventually produces thanksgiving to God.  I may run out of things to sow if I'm seeking for other results than what God is intended but as long as my purpose stays within this boundary, we won't have to worry about running out of sees to sow.

[A] In this time of Thanksgiving Day I want to receive His abundance of His seed of thanksgiving and create opportunity to sow them into hearts of those who may be in need of just that during this time season of the year.

[P] Dear Father, please provide Your abundant seed of thanksgiving to hand out to those we're reaching out to some people during this Thanksgiving Day.  May Your Spirit permeate through the time we'll have together.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Ministry is Sown in Tears

[S] Psalm 126:5-6 --
    ⁵Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
    ⁶He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
         Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

[O] The word "ministry" tend to sound big because we think of a church, or large organizations like World Vision or Red Cross, but from today's passage my orientation of ministry simplified to "sowing in tears" where you pour out your heart into caring for others through tears.  Unfortunately, even though the content of what is being carried forth is "bag of seed" which means good news, it is being rejected and thus causes the carrier of this "seed" to sow in tears.  But not all is in vain because God promises us reaping with joyful shouting in the end.

[A] As I do God's ministry, I need to remember that it is inevitable to sow in tears.  This both implies the difficulty of participating in God's ministry as well as staying humble as I carry out the ministry because this is not about starting up a company to succeed in achieving goals & profits but submitting to God's call and staying faithful to the ultimate purpose regardless of the circumstances knowing that the "shouts of joy" will come in the end.

[P] Dear God, thank you for inviting me into Your ministry.  May I not be scared to "sow Your ministry with tears" as I face challenges and even when challenges seem minimal.  I will train myself to cry out for the people whom You put under my care and I will continue to pray for them.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.