God Gives the Increase!
One Plants, Another One Waters,
….. but God Gives the Increase
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour,” 1 Corinthians 3:6-8.
We just planted several flowers in a couple of large areas here where we live in this senior community.
I spent a lot of time pulling weeds and getting the ground ready.
Carol my wife, had purchased several varieties of flowers for the areas and had them ready to plant when everything was cultivated.
It was quite interesting, as there were four women along with myself doing all of this. I knew that I had to wait as the general consensus took time to decide where each plant was to be placed into the ground.
But finally after aching backs, dirty fingernails and hands, the job was done. The ground had to be dug and hoed so that it would be fertile so that the soil would receive the plants.
Of course we also have as an example how the Word of God must be received into our hearts.
The soil must be ready and worked so that those seeds and plants will have fertile ground in which to grow.
But someone first needs to work that soil so that it is ready. Each of us has their own heart soil because of various circumstances and events that have happened in our lives.
Flowers and plants may well be planted in good nurturing soil and yet if they don’t receive the needed water every day as needed, then they will eventually wither and dry up.
In the same way, so are we with the Word of God and the Spirit. Without these ingredients our spiritual state then can easily dry up and cause us to wither.
Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson
Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to the LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?
Exactly.