History Books in 90 Days: Ezra 4-7
Galatians 6:7-8 (ESV); Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will
he 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.
If you plant carrots, you’re not going to get beans. You will always reap exactly what you sowed.
God is orderly, and so this is a principle of the physical world as well as the spiritual. And this is why
we should sit up when we read Jesus’ warnings: if you do not forgive your neighbour, your Father in
heaven will not forgive you, and by the measure you judge you will also be judged.
This principle adds an element of seriousness to our lives, especially when we recognize that we
have an eternity ahead of us. The law of reaping and sowing extends to the next life; in fact it only
makes sense in light of eternity. The psalmist asked more than once, “Why do the wicked prosper?”
Because God is just, the wicked will not always prosper. What was sown in this world will be reaped
in the next.
We cheer about this when we think about people like Hitler or Stalin, but we don’t like to think that
we would fall under the same rule. But our lives are not the standard to determine good sowing
from bad. The one and only standard is God’s complete holiness; compared to Him we all fall short
of goodness. Therefore, obedience to Him results in good seed, while rebellion results in bad. We
are all guilty of sowing some bad seed, but it is the patterns we develop that will determine what we
reap. If we consistently sow into the flesh (the sinful nature), we will reap corruption, but if we sow
into the Spirit we will reap eternal life!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. We often subtly justify our behaviour because it’s “not as bad” as someone else’s. Ask the Holy
Spirit to show you how you do this. Ask Him what He has to say about it.
2. Ask God to reveal ways you are “sowing into the flesh.” Confess as necessary. Ask Him to
show you where He is proud of you for “sowing into the Spirit.”
3. Is there an area or relationship of your life where you just want to see justice served? Bring this
to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to help you trust His justice.
