Introduction:
There are many laws that govern our world — the law of gravity, the law of motion, the law of cause and effect. But Paul reminds us of another law, the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. It’s a principle that works silently, steadily, and surely. You can’t break it, you can only prove it true.
Do not be deceived
Paul starts this verse with a warning - Do not be deceived
We live in an age where deception is common. And deception does not come through warning labels. It appears attractive, progressive or liberating, but its goal is to distort God’s truth.
From the very beginning, in Genesis 3, Satan’s tactic was deception.
He told Eve, “Did God really say...?”
He questioned God’s Word, twisted truth into confusion, and convinced her that rebellion was freedom.
And the same voice still whispers today.
We live in a time where the enemy uses the same old lie
People are told that they can redefine who they are, even their very identity — apart from how God created them.
Because people often deceive themselves into thinking they can live however they want and somehow escape the consequences.
They tell themselves:
• “I can live in sin and still enjoy God’s blessing.”
• “A little compromise won’t hurt.”
• “No one saw me, so it’s fine.”
God is not mocked
Paul continues - Do not be deceived, God is not mocked
You might deceive men, we can deceive ourselves too but you cannot deceive God. But God cannot be mocked. You can’t fool Him, bargain with Him, or bypass His principles.
When a person continues to sin thinking, “God will overlook it,” or uses grace as a license to sin, they are mocking God.
People see only our actions and hear our words but God sees our thoughts behind that. He knows our thoughts, words, and actions.
1. We reap what we sow
Paul further continues - for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
He gives the reason why God cannot be mocked. But God’s justice cannot be ridiculed.
Whatever a man sows, he will reap that.
We can’t plant thorns and expect roses to bloom.
You can’t sow bitterness and expect peace.
You can’t sow dishonesty and expect trust.
You can’t sow laziness and expect success.
You can’t sow sin and expect holiness.
In Job 4:8, Eliphaz says, “Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.”
This is not a threat. It’s a principle. What you sow today, you will reap tomorrow.
Prov 11:18 – He who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
Pro 22:8 – He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.
2. Are We Sowing to the Flesh or to the Spirit?
Galatians 6:8 — “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
Paul makes it very clear that every seed has a nature. What you sow determines what you reap. You can’t sow to the flesh and expect to reap a spiritual harvest.
Sowing to the flesh means living to please our sinful nature — selfishness, pride, bitterness, lust, envy, or seeking recognition. Some help others but for their own recognition. When we sow into these things, we reap corruption: broken relationships, guilt, emptiness, and spiritual decay.
But sowing to the Spirit means living to please God — walking in obedience, faith, love, forgiveness, and humility. When we sow to the Spirit, we reap a harvest that lasts forever: peace, joy, righteousness, and the fruit of the Spirit.
The flesh always promises quick pleasure but brings lasting pain.
The Spirit often calls for sacrifice but brings eternal reward.
A farmer who keeps planting bad seed cannot complain when the harvest is poor — the harvest only mirrors what was planted. In the same way, our thoughts, actions, and motives are seeds that produce fruit, either of the flesh or of the Spirit.
Let’s ask ourselves daily:
• Am I sowing anger or kindness?
• Am I sowing pride or humility?
• Am I sowing selfish gain or kingdom purpose?
3. We reap how we sow
What we sow is important and also how we sow.
2 Corinthians 9:6 - the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.
Paul here was addressing the Corinthian church about giving — specifically, their contribution to help the poor believers in Jerusalem. Yet, the principle goes far beyond finances. It applies to every area of life where we plant spiritual seeds.
How a person sows - the attitude, spirit, and measure with which they sow determines the measure of our harvest.
When we give, serve, love, or pray sparingly — we also reap limited fruit.
But when we give of ourselves freely and generously, God ensures that the harvest is multiplied.
With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more. – Mark 4:24
A. Life of Isaac
We see a vivid picture of this truth in the life of Isaac.
Genesis 26 tells us there was a severe famine in the land, the kind of situation when any rational farmer would pack up and move to greener pastures. Everyone else was heading to Egypt, looking for safety and supply. But in verse 2, God tells Isaac, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell you.”
It made no sense — stay in famine-stricken land? Sow seed in dry soil?
Yet Isaac obeyed.
I’m sure it would have taken lot of faith and obedience on Isaac part. I’m sure people around Isaac must have mocked him for wasting the little grain he had left, grain that could’ve fed his family for a few more days and choosing instead to sow it on dry land. There was no guarantee that those seeds would ever produce a harvest.
Are we sowing in our famine. Don’t wait for better times to give or serve. Sometimes God asks us to sow in our famine, to test whether we trust Him or the soil.
Sowing in famine takes faith and opens the door for God to release a harvest beyond human expectation.
Verse 12 says,
“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.”
Maybe you’re in a season that feels like famine, emotionally, financially, or spiritually. Don’t hold back your seed. God is not limited by your soil; Like Isaac, when you sow in faith
Continue doing good, continue serving God, continue praying….
You’ll find that God still gives a hundredfold harvest even in the dry areas of your life.
B. Womens’ Two Mites:
Centuries later, Jesus sat in the temple watching people give their offerings. Many rich people gave large sums — but one poor widow came and dropped in two small copper coins, worth almost nothing.
Jesus called His disciples and said,
“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”
Why? Because others gave out of abundance — she gave out of need.
Let me give you a simple example.
Imagine two people - one earns ?10,000 and gives ?100 to the Lord. The other person earns just ?50 but gives all of it to God. Now tell me, who has given more?
In terms of amount, ?100 is obviously more than ?50. But in the eyes of God, the second person has given more — because they gave everything they had. The first gave out of their abundance, but the second gave out of their need.
Isaac sowed in famine. He received 100 fold blessing.
The widow sowed in her in poverty. She received the favor of the Lord.
Maybe you feel like Isaac today — surrounded by drought and uncertainty — or like that widow, with only a few ‘mites’ left in your hand. Don’t despise your seed. If you’ll sow generously, joyfully, and in faith, He will ensure that your harvest is abundant — pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
4. You do not know when you will reap what you have sown
James 5:7-8
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
For example:
• Rice takes about 3 to 4 months from planting to harvest.
• Brinjal (eggplant) takes around 2 to 3 months to bear fruit.
• Groundnut (peanut) takes roughly 4 to 5 months.
• Sugarcane, however, can take 10 to 16 months before it’s ready for harvest.
If a farmer tries to harvest rice in one month or expects sugarcane in three, he’ll only ruin the crop. The same principle applies spiritually — God has appointed times for every harvest. You may be in a “waiting season,” but that doesn’t mean your seed has died; it’s just taking root and growing beneath the surface.
Often, there’s a season of waiting between sowing and reaping - a time that tests our faith, patience, and perseverance.
We live in an instant world that wants quick returns - but spiritual growth, blessings, and breakthroughs often come through patient endurance.
Sometimes we sow in tears and see no immediate fruit, but as Psalm 126:5 says, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
So, keep sowing:
• Words of encouragement, even when you don’t receive any back.
• Acts of kindness, even when they go unnoticed.
• Seeds of prayer, even when you don’t see quick answers.
• Seeds of faith, even when the soil looks dry.
Your harvest is coming — maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow — but in due season.
For instance, you may keep helping others or praying for a loved one’s salvation for years without seeing change. But in due time, God brings forth fruit - often far greater than imagined.
5. Where you sow matters?
Matthew 13:3-9 “A farmer went out to sow his seed…”
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes four kinds of ground — the path, the rocky ground, the thorny soil, and the good soil. The same seed was sown, but the result depended entirely on where it was sown.
This teaches us that where we sow is just as important as what we sow.
Some people invest all their time, energy, and resources in things that have no eternal value — chasing after fame, money, or the praise of people. They sow into the world, and the harvest they reap often leaves them empty.
But the Bible calls us to sow for the Lord — in His kingdom, in the lives of others, and in acts that bring glory to His name.
Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward.”
That means even when we give or serve in church, our motive should be to honor God, not people.
Sometimes, believers sow into the lives of men or women of God — they give, support, or serve them wholeheartedly. But when those leaders fail, misunderstand them, or turn against them, they get hurt and stop sowing altogether.
We must remember that our sowing should never be for a pastor or a person, but for the Lord. Pastors and leaders are channels, not the destination. When you sow for the Lord, even if people fail you, your reward in heaven remains secure, because your seed was planted in faith and obedience to God.
Sow into God’s kingdom, not into human approval. Sow for His glory, not for recognition. When you do that, your harvest will be eternal.
Conclusion: What Are You Sowing Today?
Every day, with every choice, we are sowing something - in our hearts, our homes, our workplaces, our churches.
The question isn’t if we’ll reap, but what we’ll reap.
You may be going through tough times but sow in faith. God will reward you in due time.
