Sow a Seed and Reap a Harvest

God created us to be fruitful, multiply, increase, and impact the world. When God created you, He put everything you need to fulfill your destiny. He wants you to reign as king through Jesus Christ. However, if you want more in life then you must sow a seed to reap a harvest. 

It is our Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. You are not going to break heaven’s bank by expecting more from God. If you desire more influence, increase, joy, and abundance, then you must first plant a seed for that harvest. Jesus said, “With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:2 NKJV). 

Like you, I make it a point to give tithes and offerings. Earlier this year, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to tithe not from my present revenue but from my expected income. Honestly, it was a stretch, but I decided to do it by faith. I sowed financial seed based on my anticipated return. The very next day, I received ten times more than what I had planted! I am not saying that we should give in order to receive, nor am I advocating that we will always receive an instant harvest. Nevertheless, the Bible teaches us that seeds have power to produce of their own kind. A seed can produce harvest that is thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold. The Bible also says, “The God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as he promised” (Deuteronomy 1:11 NLT). 

The Scripture says, “You will always harvest what you plant” (Galatians 6:7 NLT). The law of sowing and reaping is not limited only to finances; it works in every area of your life. Seed produces its own kind. So whatever you lack, sow a seed by faith. If you need healing in your body, pray for someone else to be healed. If you want more friends, become a friend. If you need encouragement, inspire someone. If you want more love, start loving the people God puts in your path—starting with your own family. 

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25). Generosity is always a response to faith and a reflection of our hearts. Victor Hugo in Les Misérables said, “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness.” 

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24 NLT). That is exactly what Jesus did for all of us. He loved us so much that He laid down His life so that all who believe in Him can inherit eternal life—that is millions and billions of us! 

The Kingdom of God is set up to meet your every need regardless of what goes on here on earth. You no longer have to bear the weight of your own provision. You do not have to be anxious or worried as you enter into this faith mentality. You have the legal right to access the benefits and blessings of the Kingdom. 

If you are sick, God wants you healed! If you are addicted, God wants to set you free. If you are broke, God wants to prosper you. If you feel hurt, God wants to comfort you. God promises to save your whole household. Your faith can bring heaven on earth. Put your faith to work! When you believe, and declare God’s Word over your situation, your faith goes to work. Dying on the cross, Jesus paid the price for everything you will ever need to thrive in life. 

1 Kings 17 tells the story of a widow and her young son in Zerephath. They were on the verge of starvation. When Elijah the prophet shows up, he asks her to prepare a meal for him. It was an outrageous demand. But God never asks us to do something without blessing us in return. He does not need our stuff. He is after our hearts. Elijah made the widow an interesting promise—if she serves him first, her supply of flour and oil would never run out. The woman did as she was asked and she witnessed a miracle of abundance. She and her household ate for many days to come because the jar of flour was not spent, nor did the jug of oil go empty. 

I believe that God wants us to enlarge our capacity to receive so that we can become a blessing to the world. Since you are connected to the Source, your supply will never run out. Enlarge your measure of giving. Sow seeds of love, kindness, time, resources, and friendship. Volunteer at your church, school, or another organization. Reach out to the elderly. Invite people to your home and be hospitable. If we give a spoonful, we will receive a spoonful. If we give a bucket, we will get the same in return. If we give from a place of in abundance, we will receive an overflow. Whatever you make happen for others, God will make happen for you—many times over!

“Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity” (Luke 6:38 MSG). 

Stay Inspired: www.buildinternational.org 

Building People. Spreading Hope.

Enlarge Your Vision

Are you tired, dissatisfied, or bored with your life? Do you wonder, “Is this all there is?” God did not create you for mediocrity. You are not an average. Your life is not meaningless. If you want to enjoy and experience God’s best, then you have to enlarge your vision. 

Limited thinking will result in a limited life. A friend recently asked me, “Sandy, what is your motivation for success in life?” I replied, “Hunger and a desire to impact the world with the gospel.” As I align my thoughts with God’s, it shapes my vision. You too can change your future by changing the thoughts that are playing in your mind. Your vision is your most valuable asset. 

Abraham was living in a tent when God told him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are… for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever” (Genesis 13:14-15). You may be in a limited environment right now, but do not let that limited mindset get in you. You may be surrounded by poverty, mediocrity, sickness, or an addiction. That may be where you are but that is not who you are. You were created for greatness and meant to leave your mark on this planet. 

I heard about a sixth grader who was tasked to write down what he wanted to be when he grew up. The young boy wrote that he wanted to make people laugh on the television. When the teacher saw his answer, she asked, “Does anyone in your family work in television?” The boy replied, “No, ma’am.” The teacher told him, “You need to write something more realistic.” 

The young boy was very disheartened. He went home and told his dad what had happened at school. His dad put the paper on the top drawer in his room. He told his son, “Before you go to school and before you go to bed each day, look at this paper and thank God that you will be on television one day. The boy did just that. Today, you can find Funny Man Steve Harvey on TV making people laugh, seven days a week. 

Friend, people may try to belittle or discredit you. Your loved ones mean well but God did not put the vision in them. That is why they do not understand the big dreams that God has placed in you. Do not be discouraged! People did not breathe life into you. Your critics did not call you to do great things. God did! Just because someone does not believe in your dream does not mean it is not going to happen. What God promised will come to pass. Write down what He has said and thank Him for it in advance. That is called faith. Whatever you can see with your eyes of faith, you can hold in your hand. 

Sometimes we limit our own thinking. If you put a lid on your potential, it will dwarf possibilities. I encourage you to stretch yourself. Think bigger. When we embrace the vision God has for us, we can make a big difference in the world. 

This is what happened to a man named Gideon. God told him to lead His people against the opposing army. An angel appeared to Gideon and said, “You are a mighty man of fearless courage!” But Gideon was confused. He answered, “I am the least in my family and my tribe in the weakest.” He started to make excuses. Does that sound familiar? How often has God put a dream in our heart, and we try to reason it away? Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God”. 

God did not call Gideon who he thought he was. God saw his potential. He told him what he could become. Gideon felt weak, insecure, and intimidated but God called him a mighty man of courage. He went on to defeat his enemies. Friend, God wants to do some extraordinary things in and through your life. Like Abraham, whatever you can see, God will give it to you. He wants to save your whole family. You can beat that illness. You are going to give birth to that child that you have been praying for. You will get the contract that you were hoping for. You can live free from debt, depression, and addiction. He wants you to start that house church. You can build that orphanage. Enlarge your vision. You are not who people say you are. You are who God says you are—a child of the Most High King! God has a wide-open and specious life for you. Think big! Pray bold prayers! Expect more! God will take you places that you have never imagined! 

“I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively” (2 Corinthians 6:11-13 MSG). 

Become and Ambassador of Hope: www.buildinternational.org 

Building People. Spreading Hope.

Prepared for Promotion

We all go through seasons of trials and testing. You are doing the right thing but feel like you are going backwards instead of forwards. When our dreams take longer than we expected, we tend to get discouraged. I want to remind you what God says, “Do not get discouraged. Payday is coming!” 

Just as there are seasons of growth, there is a season for preparation. During these waiting times, God is working on our character, separating the impurities, and polishing the rough edges. It may be uncomfortable but if we stay on the potter’s wheel, we are going to come out better off than we were before. We will have more peace, joy, health, fulfillment, purpose, promotion, and vindication. 

On a mission trip to China, I learned about the Chinese bamboo tree. This remarkable plant is different from most others that grow in the region. Unlike other plants that show consistent growth, bamboo does not break through the ground for the first four years. In the fifth year, however, an amazing phenomenon happens, and the plant begins to grow at an astonishing rate. Over the next five weeks, it reaches the height of eighty feet. 

Life is similar in many ways. You must first put down deep roots through the building of character, developing good habits, and sharpening your skills. You may not see progress right away, but overtime things will begin to take off. Suddenly your business thrives and becomes profitable. Your marriage becomes stronger. You move into your dream house. Your church begins to explode. Your life becomes more meaningful and significant. 

Do not fight off what seems uncomfortable in your life. God is using the very thing you are trying to pray away. I recently spoke with a friend whose entire family was infected with COVID-19. My 55-year-old friend told me that he kept a positive attitude. For years, he has suffered from severe back pain. COVID-19 causes inflammation. As a result, the pinched nerve came loose, and he has no more back pain. He has been pain free for six months! God knows how to deliver you from pain, struggle, hardship, heartache, and troubles. 

When you find yourself in a season of preparation, you may not understand everything that happens along the way. You may not like the delays and the detours, but God is setting you up. You may have lost your current job, but He is orchestrating a better one in your future. You may have suffered a setback in your health, but God will restore health back unto you. Finances may be tight, but He will bring you to a place of abundance. You may have been trying to have a baby, and this could be the year it happens. When you see and feel the least, that is when God is working the most. 

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. This is what happened to Abraham when God put a dream in his heart that he would become the father of many nations. Twenty-four years went by and there was still no sign of a baby. Abraham and Sarah were nearly 100 years old. It looked impossible. The enemy must have whispered in their ears how it was impossible. They could have talked themselves out of it. Yet, the Bible says that “Abraham grew strong in faith by giving praise to God.” When you praise God in times of difficulty, it gives you strength to persevere. When Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. God fulfilled His promise. 

Friend, your business may be slow, your child may be off track, your health may not be up to par, and your marriage may be struggling. The key is to praise God in the mist of the trials and testing. When you anticipate a miracle, and wait patiently with a good attitude, you will come into your promotion. Like the Chinese bamboo, you will see sudden growth. Like my friend, your health will turn around. And like Abraham, you will see your dreams come true. Now prepare yourself, for the promotion that is coming. What the Lord promised you will come to pass. 

“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV). 

Become an Ambassador of Hope: www.buildinternational.org 

Building People. Spreading Hope.

2021: The Year of Restoration

Last year was difficult for most all of us—a pandemic, an economic collapse, and political upheaval wrought havoc in many lives. The enemy may have robbed you of your peace, finances, health, or relationships, but God is in the restoration business. He will restore everything that has been taken from you. 

This past Thanksgiving, I was returning to Dallas from Houston when I got a call from my neighbor. He informed me that my house was flooded. When my family and I got home, we discovered the service line in the toilet had broken causing major water damage and a huge fiasco. We got the mitigation company to come out and my insurance agent got us all situated.  It was over a month of inconvenience and difficulty, especially this time of year.

The Bible says, “What the enemy meant for evil, God will turn for your good!” Before the flooding, I was contemplating having the house repainted and the carpets replaced in addition to some other repairs. See, God knows what we need, when we need it, and how to get it to us. My house is now fully restored, and it looks better than ever.

God knows how to restore everything–and not only does he restore it to its original condition. His restoration is always greater in quality, quantity, or both (Exodus 22:1). Our God is full of compassion and mercy. It does not matter if you made the mistake, or it was someone else’s fault, or life just happened, God will bring you out better off than you were before. Why don’t you trust and surrender to Him? He loves you and has your best interest at heart. The mercies of God are greater than any mistake you ever made. Rise up in faith and declare, “Father, restore!”

Do you feel like the enemy has consumed your years? Perhaps you suffered from a chronic illness, miscarriage, depression, the loss of a job, or a loved one? Let the word of the Lord strengthen your heart today. Our God is a God of restoration. He is most able and willing to restore what you have lost.

In the Bible, Joseph spent 13 years being mistreated, betrayed by his brothers, and put in prison for something that he did not do. It was not easy, but he kept honoring God with his life. One morning, the guard came to Joseph and said, “The Pharaoh wants to see you!” Joseph did not know the king because he was a foreigner and a slave locked away in a dungeon. You, too, may be sitting in a dark place feeling forgotten and overlooked. Do not be discouraged! The One who matters has His eyes on you. God will never leave you or forsake you.

When Joseph walked into Pharaoh’s magnificent palace, he must have felt intimidated. Nevertheless, God was with Joseph just as He is with you. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. The king was so impressed that he made Joseph second-in-command on the spot. Think about that! Joseph woke up that morning as a slave and went to bed that night as the Prime Minister over all of Egypt. God promoted and vindicated Joseph because our God knows how to restore!

Friend, you may have lost something valuable, but God is not going to let you end in a minus. Do not be discouraged by what is not changing. Make pleasing God your highest priority even when you do not see any improvement. Rest assured, God remembers you. Payday is coming. God has some destiny moments in store for you. He is going to thrust you to a new level of peace, joy, fulfillment, increase, and influence. God is going to restore your health, bring salvation to your entire family, and give you the nations for your possession. He will multiply you a thousand times more (Exodus 1:11 NLT). The right people will come looking for you. Promotion, opportunity, and vindication will track you down and follow you.

Now do your part and put your faith in God! When we encounter loss, it is easy to get discouraged, to settle where we are, and to stop expecting good things. I challenge you to get your hopes up and expect God’s best. Your expectation sets the limits for your life.

Jesus said, “Have what your faith expects” (Matthew 9:29). Let me ask you a question: What are you expecting in life? Big things? Small things? Or nothing at all? Learn to have a restoration mindset. Live each day filled with anticipation that God is going to bless you abundantly so that you can become a blessing to the world. My prayer is that you experience an unprecedented manifestation of His restoration in every area of your life in 2021. May His grace, profound peace, and divine protection cover you and your loved ones! Get ready for your year of restoration!

“We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance” (Psalm 66:12 NLT).  

Stay Inspired: www.buildinternational.org

Building People. Spreading Hope.