I have noticed that the Devil really likes the scriptures; not because it spells out his ultimate state but because it works. The Word of God is a legal document which holds true no matter who presents it in the court of law. The bible states clearly that “God is not a man that he should lie… His promises are yea and amen… His word does not return to him void…” I can go on and on but I’m sure you get what I’m saying. One scripture that sums this all up is “God has lifted his word above all his names” and because the word of God must come true no matter what, the devil has learnt to exploit it, where possible, to his advantage.

Today, I want us to look at this scripture in Genesis 8:22 “As long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest time… shall never cease”. How many of us are aware that the devil takes this scripture more seriously than most believers? He does. Normally, when this scripture comes up in church, all we hear about is the need to sow some money as seed so we can reap God’s abundant riches. My dear, this scripture means far more than that.

I am at a point in my life where, it is all coming together. Before I was five, I had been introduced to sex and alcohol and narrowly escaped being raped by a relative. Before I was ten, I had been introduced to porn and also experienced traumatizing degrees of rejection. Obviously, the devil had been busy sowing seeds into my life. Negative seeds which were intended to bear much fruit. But I want to thank the God of John Chapter 15. He is called the Gardener; and I am grateful that He considers me a branch in Him.

Even though most of these negative seeds were sown even before I could properly spell my name, today I struggle with the fruits they seek to bear. I am a happily married. I love my wife. I am proud of my son. What will break my heart above all else, is if ever my marriage should fail. Adultery, no matter who commits it in my marriage will be a great devastation. Above my love for my family is this deep love and reverence I have for the Lord God who delivered me. Yet everyday in my life I battle the fruits these seeds seek to bear.

I’m sure you’ve heard your fair share of tragic heroes in God’s Kingdom. It is not uncommon to hear of a highly anointed, highly respected man or woman of God being caught in fornication, adultery, corruption, drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence etc. The sad thing is, normally when we hear these stories. We quickly label them as hypocrites and discard them. We never pause to ask why and even when we do, we don’t wait to hear why. “As long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest time shall never cease”. That is why.

The bible clearly proves that God doesn’t call us when we become born again. He chooses us even before we are born. God appeared to Samson’s parents before he was born. He told Jeremiah He chose him even before he was born. The birth of Jesus was prophesied way before it became a reality. Another parallel truth to the above is that, the devil can smell a good seed and normally tries to destroy us even before we grow. Pharaoh killed all the male children of the Israelites because he knew by sorcery that a Moses was about to be born. The devil filled Zechariah with unbelief because that was a sure way of hindering Christ’s coming. John the baptist had to come and prepare the way. The devil also tried to get pregnant Mary stoned to death by making Joseph think she had committed adultery. The bible says Joseph said he was going to divorce her quietly but since when has a woman been able to hide pregnancy? That belly was going to blow up with its story and that would have been the end of our Messiah. When this ploy failed, he got Herod to kill all the children 0-2 years. My dear, the devil can smell a good seed and attacks it even before it grows into a mighty tree.

What were you exposed to as a child? What seeds were sown? What fruits are you struggling with now? In the same vein, what are you exposing your children to? Who do you allow around your children? Can it be that the secret sins, the addictions, the fears and every bad habit you are struggling with was once a seed that was sown? A tiny, negligible seed? If big faith starts small like a mustard seed, what does rape, murder, drug addiction and adultery start like?

No matter what you are struggling with now, no matter what seeds have been sown, we have a Lord of the Harvest. We have a Gardener who has more than enough expertise to prune you. Our God has more than enough power to uproot every evil fruit bearing tree in your life. Those seeds were sown in you so that you could never become the man or woman God has destined you to be. But thanks be to God, who is able to set you free in deed. The God of the Bible is able to really make you born again; not in a religious sense but in a true way. He is able to make you a whole new creature. The devil expects a rejected young girl to become a vulnerable woman, he expects the male child exposed to pornography to become adulterous and unreliable but when Christ comes into the picture, the story must change.

God is constantly sowing seeds too. Expose yourself to His word, prayer and sound christian fellowship. Expose your children to God’s seeds because the trees they bear are beautiful to behold. God bless you.