Sandy needed a big rake, for he had a big task to do. He wanted a garden just like Mother’s, where beautiful flowers grew, and good things to eat.
Sandy knew how to make a garden of course! Another boy gave him some nice-looking seeds, and helped a little in the sowing. Sandy dusted off his hands with a feeling of satisfaction. Of course his garden would grow.
It did grow too, with rain and sunshine and very little patience. Sandy reaped an ugly crop of weeds and prickly wild cucumbers, which were thrown. at him. by the same boy who gave him the seeds! it was not a bit like Mother’s. Sandy didn’t understand.
Alas, poor little man, he reaped exactly what he sowed and didn’t like it. Neither do the rest of us, very often. We choose to sow seeds of selfishness, disobedience, and unkindness, but we don’t like to reap that sort of thing at all. And yet God’s Word says, “Whatsoever a man soweth., that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:77Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7).
Helen was wiser than Sandy. Her garden was beautiful with flowers, though it had some weeds too, but everyone praised her success. In the autumn however, her garden and Sandy’s looked very much alike—just dead.
Now many boys and girls are more like Helen. We try often to sow seeds of kindness and generosity in order to win the praise of others, and we reap a pleasant feeling of success. Even until we are feeble and wrinkled and old we are well spoken of, and then we die and our bodies return to dust—but what then?
Eric is one of God’s children, one of His very own. Eric was, by nature, as had as anyone else, but he is now a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus, that blessed Saviour who died that sinners might live. Eric is a gardener too! I’m sorry to say that he has planted many a bitter weed in his garden, which will grow up and sting him as long as he lives in this world, for we must all reap what we sow. But his garden also has many hidden seeds of kindness and unselfishness which were sown to please the Lord Jesus, and some of these lovely plants are bearing fruit even now. God is faithful. Eric’s seeds of obedience to the Word of God will never die, but will yield beautiful everlasting flowers in eternity. “He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” Galatians 6:88For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:8).
Now my reader, I have described three gardeners, Sandy, Helen and Eric. Sandy is like a boy or girl who refuses to accept the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and who lives an outwardly evil and sinful life. He has sorrow here, and forever in hell. Helen is like one who is kind and generous to others, but who is satisfied with his own works and the praise of others. But God looks on the heart and He says “All have sinned.” No matter how many kind acts we do, they will never put away our sins. Eric has learned this. He is not relying on his own good works for salvation, but on the precious blood of Jesus which cleanses from all sin, and now he loves the Lord Jesus. Eric is not perfect, but he does want to please Him in his daily life.
Dear reader, to which of these three gardeners can we liken you? I hope you are like Eric.
ML 05/21/1950