Check back soon
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
Years ago Chinese farmers decided they would eat the good big potatoes and just use the small ones for seed. A new understanding of the laws of life came to them when through the years during which they kept up this practice, nature reduced all their potatoes to the size of marbles! These farmers learned through bitter experience that they couldn’t keep the best things in life for themselves and use the leftovers for seed.
The laws of life decreed that the harvest would reflect the planting. But you know, planting small potatoes is still a common practice with a lot of us. Too many of us take all the big things of life for ourselves and only plant the leftovers. We expect that by some crazy twist of the laws of nature our selfishness will be rewarded with blessings.
We must learn that we can’t always eat the big potatoes and still keep having them. Planting small potatoes simply means that is all we can expect in return. This law applies in family relationships, friendships, on the job, in community affairs, in politics and everywhere else. This law applies especially in our service to God.
We succeed when we sacrifice. Whether it is in attending worship services, teaching others about God, visiting the sick, or giving, the big potatoes given to God will result in more blessings than we can even dream about. In Malachi 3:6-18 God is teaching the Israelites the law of small potatoes. In verse 10 we read, “And try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
The greatest blessing of all, of course, is that of eternal life. We can have the hope of heaven if we choose to give our life to God, rather than keep it for ourselves. Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
We have recently begun sharing about an exciting challenge being presented before the church—the Advance the Harvest campaign. Over the coming days and weeks you will be receiving more detailed information regarding this opportunity and how our church will be challenged as never before to sacrifice for the harvest. You will have information mailed to your home, you will hear testimonies from those making a significant sacrifice, and you will be given the opportunity to participate personally in this campaign. Each family in our church will receive a visit in the coming days from a prayer team which looks forward to the chance to pray with you regarding any specific needs and to invite you to begin praying now for this challenge before us.
May the generations behind us give glory to God for the sacrifices which we offered up to God on their behalf. Only in eternity will we know fully the countless who came to Christ due to our sacrificial generosity. Along with David may we be able to say, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24).
Sacrificing for the Harvest,
Jason