Five Laws of the Harvest
April 2020
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A few years ago, when Donna and I were pastoring in the Dallas area, it was Sunday, and I was preparing to begin the Sunday morning service. It was about 10:20 a.m. One of our members, the Rev. Hal Lehman, a semi-retired, statesman missionary, walked up to me, greeted me, and asked if he could share something with the church prior to receiving tithes and offerings. I fully trusted Brother Lehman and responded quickly, “Sure, I will call on you.”
He shared a three-minute word. It was a WOW moment! He titled it The Laws of the Harvest. I would like to share it with you.
1. You Always Reap What You Sow.
Galatians 6:7 reads, “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” You reap what you sow, good or bad. Jesus, our Lord, taught, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38 ). Yes, if you plant cotton, you won’t reap maize. If you don’t sow into the work of God, dear friend, your harvest will be greatly lacking.
2. You Always Reap After You Sow.
Luke 6:38 declares, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” We give by faith and know that we will eventually receive and reap the harvest. According to Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Verse 9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Seed must be planted before it can germinate and become a plant and grow. Many times, the harvest will not show up for a season, but in due season, if we faint not, the harvest will come forth.
3. You Always Reap More Than You Sow.
Our blessed Lord said, and it is recorded in Matthew 13:23, that one’s spiritual harvest can be “an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” In Malachi 3:10, the prophet wrote that the “windows of heaven” will open and pour out for you a blessing “that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” God is a gracious God and still does “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). Do you remember the story in John 6:5-14 where the apostle John revealed that the great multitude was fed that day after a lad gave his lunch to the Lord? His lunch was only five barley loaves and two small fishes. That would be five small biscuits and two sardines. He gave what he had, and God multiplied it to feed thousands. Yes, little is much if God is in it! When one gives in obedience to God, the harvest will be greater than you sowed.
4. You Must Always Give Attention To Where You Sow.
This is so important! When Jesus, our blessed Lord, gave the parable of the seed and sower, as recorded in Matthew 13, He explained that there are four types of soil. He discussed (1) the “way side” places where the soil was not protected and cultivated; (2) the “stony” places where there is no depth to sustain it; (3) seed planted among the “thorns” where the plant can be “choked” and become unfruitful; and (4) “Into good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Where you give your tithes and offerings is very important! I can assure you, dear friends, this ministry, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and SBN, is “good ground.” The true gospel is going forth in word and song 24/7 around the world and by now, more than 2 million Expositor’s Study Bibles have been given to ministers and lay leaders in Third World countries. Seriously pray about helping us.
5. You Always Determine The Size Of The Harvest By How Much You Sow.
Paul wrote under divine inspiration in II Corinthians 9:6, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” Jesus said in Mark 4:24, “What measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.” Yes, for sure, our sowing determines the harvest. If we give much, then much more will be given to us for our faithfulness. You may ask, “Is this really true?” As you and I study scripture, is it not clear that our God is a gracious and good God and always blesses us more than we deserve? Luke quoted Jesus and wrote, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” Years ago, I heard someone say, “You can’t outgive God.” I believe it. If you have hesitated to give the work of God your tithe and offering, I urge you to begin now. You, my friend, will reap a bountiful harvest.
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