Daily Devotional for April 24, 2010

April 24 ~ Proverbs 14:14
You harvest what you plant, whether good or bad.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Most of us understand the concept that:
• If you overeat – you will probably gain weight.
• If you smoke cigarettes – you are a candidate for lung cancer.
• If you expose your skin to the sun or a tanning bed – you will age your skin and possibly get skin cancer.
• If you have unprotected sex – you could make a baby or get an STD.
• If you don’t go to class – you probably won’t pass.
• If you break the law – you may go to jail.

I could go on, but you get the picture. When things are “black and white,” we have no trouble grasping them. Where we sometimes fail to understand this is in the “grey areas” of life.

 • If you cheat – on your taxes, on a significant other, at school, at work, by speeding or drinking and driving… or even in a sport… you might seem to “get by” with it. But somewhere down the road, this type of behavior will catch up with you. You may never get caught actually cheating at something, but your behavior may lead to other dishonesty that is discovered or an activity that harms your relationships with others. And over time, cheating and dishonesty eat away at your character.

• If you are kind and generous with what you have, even if it seems like very little – time, talents, and money – you will benefit in ways you can’t even imagine. You may never be “rich” in money or material things, but you will be wealthy beyond measure in other ways. Blessings will come your way when you least expect them – and from sources you would never have expected.

• If you are faithful and trusting of God – and trustworthy – He will answer your prayers, solve your problems, heal you of diseases, protect you, promote you, and bless you incredibly. And you will operate in confidence that Someone else is helping you handle every situation.

• If you are a “hit-and-miss” Christian who worships, prays and studies when it is convenient – or when there is a crisis – expect “hit-and-miss” results and blessings. It’s not that God is ignoring you – or even punishing you – but God does pour out His abundance on those who are most faithful, and we need to understand and appreciate how this exchange with Him works.

This is the familiar “you reap what you sow” passage. It may be hard for you to see how what you are doing today is going to affect you down the road. But it will. Make sure that everything you do this day lines up with the will and the word of God. Make sure that every choice you make, every word from your mouth, every gesture, facial expression and step you take is approved by God. If you do this, you will sow blessings so abundant you can’t even count them. Don’t worry about what happens if you make poor choices – don’t even go there! Don’t risk missing a single one of the blessings God has in store for you. Sow good things, positive words, faithful service and continual trust. Sow LOVE and the light of Christ… and be amazed by what you reap!

©2010 Debbie Robus

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