Topic: Harvesting Beyond Bread [Monday 30, January 2017]
Memorise: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. – 1 Corinthians 3:6
Read: 2 Kings 4:8-17 (KJV)
8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
Bible in One Year: Luke 9, Isaiah 26:20-27:13
MESSAGE:
To be a successful farmer, there are several activities you must carry out in the right order. You have to get a suitable farmland, cut the grass and fell the trees, make the ridges and therefore sow your seeds. After sowing, you have to watch out for weeds that come to destroy your harvest, and when they show up, you have to take them out of the way. You have to also water your seed always. If you do all these, you will get a bountiful harvest. All these are reflection of what you need to do in order to get a bountiful harvest in the Kingdom of God. One important point you need to take to heart is that after you have done your part, God is the One who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). Every increase that comes to your seed comes from God and not necessarily from the soil. This season, the Lord will give you increase in every good area you are sowing in Jesus’ Name.
However, what you reap will be determined by what you have sown. For instance, the young boy in John 6:5-13 did not only give bread, he also gave fish to Jesus. If you give Him bread, He will multiply it back to you. If you give Him more than bread, you will also get more than multiplied bread. The boy gave the Lord bread and fish, and at the end of the day, he got 12 baskets full of bread and fish. One lesson here is that sowing and reaping is not the exclusive preserve of adults. Teach your children to sow into the Kingdom of God. Teach them to pay tithes on the gifts they receive from their uncles, aunties and friends of their parents. They can even tithe their pocket money as they go to boarding school or university. The earlier they imbibe such Kingdom principles, the better for them.
Indeed, if you give the Lord more than bread, you will get more than bread in your harvest. In our Bible reading, rich woman of Shunem started by providing food for Elisha. She then moved beyond providing bread to providing accommodation. When her harvest came, God went beyond bread and took care of a long standing need in her life that she had already given up hope on: her desire for a child. The seed she sowed into Elisha’s life defied all scientific and diabolical reasons for her barrenness and gave her a baby boy. God knows your needs –even your deep, unvoiced needs. What are you giving to Him? If you are not yet giving Him anything, start giving something today! Are you giving only what you can easily part with? Take a step further today and sow sacrificially. Your seed will carve out a path into the fullness of your joy.
Prayer Point: Thank God for the body of Christ, the leadership and all that God is doing through His Church.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
