Having Faith: Assume Sufficiency, Not Scarcity - Day 19

Sept 13, 2012

"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."  2 Corinthians 9:10

This passage tells us that God will supply and multiply our seed for sowing and our harvest.  Some people have interpreted this passage and others like them in the Bible to mean that God will reward us in material terms.  Surely, God has given us many blessings, including providing for our physical needs, like a home , clothing and food, great worship facilities, etc. but that is not what is meant here.

Before our current red hymnal, we had a green one - the Lutheran Book of Worship.  Part of our regular communion service was the singing of "let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord, and fill to the brim our cup of blessing.  Gather the harvest from the seed that were sown, that we may be fed with the bread of life..."  We weren't singing about real drinking and eating, or harvesting crops there, either.

God has provided us with His Word - the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ.  That's the seed that we are sowing, the seed that He supplies, both as seed and as "the bread of life."  God's promise is that He will use His people "that's us - St. Stephen people, right here in Longwood!) and their resources (that's "our" resources, the resources that God has given to us) as instruments of His grace, for the salvation of others.

So, we have everything we need.  We have God's Word. We have wonderful resources available to us - both individually and collectively.  And, we have God's promise that He will multiply our seed and increase our harvest.  Let's get going!

Lord, we are beginning a new season of sowing and planting and we give thanks that you have provided what we need.  We ask that you renew us and strengthen us for the tasks ahead.  Amen

Author:  Barbara Hauck