The Principle of Seed and Harvest

 

For as long as I have been a Christian I have been taught the principle of “SEED GIVING”. I never even tried to check out the Scriptures to see if it is so, as instructed in Acts 17:11  (…, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.)

Here is what I found:

 

2 Corinthians 9:10  Now may* He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

 

God supplies the seed for the sower and the increase of that seed, we don’t supply the seed to God.

 

2 Corinthians 8:9-13  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 

 

2 Corinthians 9:7  Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.

 

God does not want us to give out of necessity. So when the message is “give till it hurts” or “give out of your need”, don’t listen to them.  Now if God tells you to give and it is not because the “Preacher” has made you feel guilty, browbeat you or put you on the spot in front of others, then obey God. Otherwise remember “giving feels great” and if you aren’t cheerful about it, don’t give.

 

The preachers on Television and in pulpits preach that giving seed money to their ministry is how God wants to prosper you but if you don’t have seed money for your business then your business will fail. You need your seed money to plant in your own field so you will have a harvest. When your harvest comes in, then, out of the prosperity and abundance of the harvest, you give. As we give out of that 30, 60, hundredfold blessing we are blessed again by the measure we give.

 

They use the example of the Widow that gave two mites. The widow’s mites were not enough to even buy but two sparrows, as a sin offering. She is under the Law in the Temple, giving all she has, a farthing as a sin offering. She is not responding to what Jesus is teaching, but Jesus is using her as an example to point out the hypocrisy of the Scribes. The Scriptures don’t say she gave out of her need. Jesus is saying she gave even though she had nothing left and the Scribes are stealing houses from people like her.

 

Isaiah 55:9-11  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.  (10)  "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,  (11)  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

 

 

Parable of the Talents. All the chosen servants were given seed money to use as they saw fit. Only one did not try to apply the “prosperity principle”. He in fact chose “poverty” and when the Master returned what he was given was taken from him, even his life. *****

 

Matthew 25:28-30  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.  (29)  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.  (30)  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Mark 4:24-25  And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.  (25)  For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.