Every action has a predictable consequence. If I sow corn, I’ll get corn, not potatoes. If I sow radishes, I’ll get radishes, not squash. If I sow beans, I’ll get beans, not watermelons. It also works the same way in the spiritual realm. If I sow (give away) life to others, I will reap life myself. If I sow provision for others, I will reap provision for myself. If I sow forgiveness toward others, I’ll reap forgiveness for myself.

The law of sowing and reaping always works, and it always works the same way for everyone. If you sow bad things, you reap bad things.

There is a very human fear, namely, that if I give anything away, I won’t have anything left for myself. However just the opposite is true. Give the very thing you need, and you will get more. Not only will you have enough for yourself, but the more you give, the more you’ll be given. The bigger the sowing, the bigger the reaping.

Any farmer knows that. If you want a small crop, you sow just a little seed. If you want a big crop, you sow a lot of seed.

Many people are deceived about sowing and reaping. It has to do with a lapse in time between the sowing and the reaping. For example, some people sow the sinful deeds of death and then, because they don’t see the immediate consequences, they come to the conclusion that they got away with something. But sooner or later, the law of sowing and reaping will work, because it always works the same way for everyone. Sowing the sinful deeds of death will eventually and inevitably bring a reaping of death and destruction. Violent people reap violence. Unfaithful people reap unfaithfulness. Bitter people reap bitterness. Selfish people reap selfishness. It’s a law, like gravity.

But the deception also works on the other side, with sowing good seed, righteous seed, the seed of generosity and good works. How so? We can sometimes be deceived into thinking that, just because we don’t see immediate results, that the law of sowing and reaping doesn’t work. God promised that if I would give, it would be given to me. But there may be a significant lapse of time between the sowing and the reaping.

What we need to understand is that God’s invitation to give generously is an invitation to invest in His purposes. And when we invest in the purposes of God, He always pays us back with interest.  When you put one grain of wheat into the ground, how many grains do you get back? Well try it. Pick the stock of wheat that grows from that one grain and count the number of grains in that one head of wheat. Let’s say you got twenty back. So what percentage of interest did you gain on your investment? If you’re slow at math, it’s a 2,000 percent interest on your investment. When’s the last time you earned that kind of interest by leaving you money in a personal saving account in your local bank?