Recently I’ve shared quite a bit about the power of sowing and reaping. When a person chooses to be a servant, they invoke this principle to work in their favor. Related to the principle of sowing and reaping is the principle that says something must die before life can come forth. Life always comes through death. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24. This is what the principle of tithing and giving is all about. Tithing is not just an old covenant principle; it is a life principle that taps into the power of sowing and reaping. In Genesis 14 (hundreds of years before the law), Abraham gave Melchizedek 1/10 of all the plunder. Why did he give him 1/10? Why not 1/7 or 1/12 or 1/20? It is because ten speaks of the law, self, and self-righteousness. When a person gives 1/10 of what they have to God, it declares their allegiance to God and not to self.

Do you remember the story of the 12 leaders going into the land of Canaan to spy out the land? Do you remember how many came back with a bad report? Yes – the answer is ten. Ten of those spies lived by their own righteousness and therefore lived in fear, but two of them, Joshua and Caleb, lived by faith. The law produces fear, and that is exactly what those ten spies were living in.

Why 10? Because it is a type and shadow of the operation of the flesh. The only thing God never wanted man to have was the knowledge of good and evil. We were never created to live by moral decisions – we were created to live by love. The law does not make sin decrease; it makes it increase.

Romans 5:20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, but the power of sin is the law.

Galatians 3:10-14 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly, no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that by faith, we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment (The curse). The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Fear is the opposite of faith and the law is not based on faith. Joshua and Caleb lived by faith, and 40 years later, when all the other men had died, Joshua and Caleb were still strong. At 85 years old, Caleb declared, “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12Now, give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” Joshua 14:10-12

Joshua and Caleb operated the principle of sowing and reaping and ended up with the blessing of God upon their lives. Remember the first 10th belongs to God. The first portion of all that we are belongs to God. The first of our energy, time, passions, emotions, finances, etc., should be devoted to God and his purpose.

When we choose to live as servants to those around us, we are sowing into the purposes of God. There is so much to this powerful truth but for now but I want you to leave with is this; servanthood will tap you into the power of…

Seed Time And Harvest