Day 46: Choosing the Right Soil

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV)

Paul applies basic principles of agriculture to the handling of money in God's kingdom. That is very practical. For a farmer dealing with his land to get the best crops, there are three simple principles he needs to observe. Let’s consider how these apply to our spiritual lives and to our finances.

The farmer needs to choose good soil first. Secondly, he needs to make proper preparation of the soil. Thirdly, he needs to have good management of his whole enterprise. If a farmer just walked down the main street in the local city scattering his seed right and left in the gutters, he wouldn't reap anything. So where we scatter makes a lot of difference. It's an investment. We need good soil, good preparation, good management.

The same, I believe, is true of our investment in God's kingdom. If we sow wisely, we will reap. We shouldn't give on impulse, we shouldn't give just out of an emotional urge, but we should sincerely seek out those ministries and those enterprises of God which are based on proper scriptural principles. Those which are working in good soil, those where there's proper preparation to ensure the maximum return, and where the management is good and ethical and honest.

I'm afraid that many of God's people miss out on the blessings of sowing, either because they don't understand that you have to sow before you reap, you have to scatter in order that you may increase, or else because they sow where there isn't going to be a good return. They invest in unworthy ministries or unscriptural operations or places where the management isn't good and they don't get the return that they need.

Let me ask you to check these three questions:

• When you consider giving, are you flowing with God's purposes?
• Are you following the basic principles?
• Are your motives right?

If the answer to those questions is "Yes", I believe the end for you will be prosperity and abundance.