A Time to SowParaugs

## Flourishing Seeds Your future harvest depends on the seeds you plant in your life today. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22 that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” To live a life that reflects Christ, you have to intentionally plant seeds that will produce that type of fruit. Ruth is one biblical character who reminds us of the significance of the seeds we plant in our lives and how the decisions we make will shape our futures – and even those of our families. After Ruth’s husband died, her mother-in-law Naomi prepared to move back to the land of Judah. She urged her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, to return home to the land of their people. Ruth refused, saying, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). In this instance, Ruth sows the seed of faithfulness. In Ruth chapter 2, we start to see some of the harvest of Ruth’s faithfulness. While she is gleaning leftover grain in a field, Boaz says to her, “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (verse 12). The rest of the story shows how God blessed and provided for Naomi and Ruth. Yet, Ruth did not see all of the fruits from her flourishing harvest. As we know, her genealogy would include King David and Jesus. The reality is that we might not see the harvest from the seeds we plant in our lives or the seeds we plant in others. However, we must be mindful that the seeds we sow can impact the lives of others. It’s vital that we are cautious and deliberate about what we sow and allow others to sow into our lives. The seed of faithfulness that Ruth sowed into her life, she also placed into Naomi’s life. The incredible part of our Christian faith is that we don’t have to go it alone – there are others who will walk with us and sow seeds of encouragement and prosperity into our lives. If we want to reap a harvest of joy, peace or patience, we have to sow those seeds. As Luke 6:43-44 says, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit…” Every time you start a good habit, you are planting a seed that will bear good fruit. Are the seeds you are planting in your life and the lives of others going to make an eternal impact for God’s Kingdom?