1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Cross Slat devotional. We're glad to have 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 2: you listening with us. Today's topic is how the words 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 2: and actions we choose are like seeds that will grow 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 2: to produce something in our lives. Will return with the 6 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 2: devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. What kind 7 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: of seeds will you plant? Written and read by Whitney Hoppler. 8 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 2: Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will 9 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,279 Speaker 2: harvest what they plant. Those who plant only for their 10 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 2: own benefit will harvest devastation from their selfishness. But those 11 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 2: who plant for the benefit of the Spirit will harvest 12 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 2: eternal life from the Spirit. Galatians six seven through eight CEB. 13 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: When I first started gardening, the first seed packets I 14 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 2: bought were for cucumbers. Our family enjoyed eating cucumbers, and 15 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: I'd heard that cucumbers were easy to grow. Buying a 16 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 2: bunch of cucumber seeds and planting them seemed to be 17 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: in no brain or decision in the spring, But in 18 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: the summer, when our cucumbers appeared, I was shocked to 19 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 2: see that they didn't look or taste like anything I expected. 20 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 2: Instead of a sleuth and sweet cucumbers, i'd hoped to 21 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 2: slice up for our salads. I'd grown what seemed to 22 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 2: be cucumber monsters. They were huge, covered in sharp spikes. 23 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: Biting into their thick, spiky skin was challenging, and when 24 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: we did, we got a bitter taste that quite simply 25 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 2: was gross. It turned out that I'd planted a variety 26 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 2: of cucumbers that were usually made into pickles before be neat, 27 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 2: not even close to the variety I usually bought from 28 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 2: the grocery store to eat fresh. I wished I would 29 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: have paid more attention to exactly what kind of seeds 30 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 2: I planted. Seeds always grow into something. That's exactly what 31 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: the Bible points out in Galatians six seven through eight, 32 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 2: which compares people's words and actions to seeds. The choices 33 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 2: we all make every day are planting something that will 34 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: grow to become something that we and God either like 35 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: or don't like. You plant seeds with your words. The 36 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 2: way you speak to your spouse, your children, your coworkers, 37 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 2: or even yourself matters. Harsh, careless words plant seeds of 38 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 2: pain that can distance you from people. Gentle, encouraging words 39 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: plant seeds of trust that can lead to closer relationships. 40 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: You may think a careless comment is small and unimportant, 41 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: but seeds don't look impressive at first either. Over time, though, 42 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 2: they grow into something much bigger. You also plant seeds 43 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: with your actions. The priorities you set, and the habits 44 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,239 Speaker 2: you practice day by day all will grow into results 45 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 2: you'll eventually see. If you consistently choose whatever works best 46 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 2: for you without considering the other people in your life, 47 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: you're planting seeds for your own benefit, just like this 48 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: Bible passage describes. Those seeds may promise you easy results, 49 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 2: but they often grew into situations that lead you feeling 50 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 2: bitterness and regret. On the other hand, if you seek 51 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 2: God's guidance for your decisions, you're planting for the benefit 52 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 2: of the spirit. Those choices may not be easy. In fact, 53 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: they can be challenging to make, but God promises that 54 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 2: choices you make along with him will lead to good results. 55 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 2: Often a gap between planting and harvesting. That gap can 56 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: fool you. During that time, you might start to think 57 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 2: that it doesn't matter what you say or do because 58 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 2: you can't yet see anything bad happening from your choices. 59 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 2: But growth is happening under the surface. Roots are forming 60 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 2: and a direction is being set. So pay attention now 61 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 2: to words and actions you're choosing. Just like with the cucumbers, 62 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: it's much easier to choose the right seeds at the 63 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 2: beginning than to deal with a bitter harvest later. Before 64 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 2: you speak, you can pause and think about what might 65 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 2: grow from your words. Before you act, you can consider 66 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 2: what might grow from what you decide to do. When 67 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: you plant for the benefit of the spirit, you line 68 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: yourself up with God's life giving work. You can then 69 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 2: start to see fruit like paste, patience, kindness, and self 70 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 2: control growing in you and around you. As a result, 71 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 2: your life will taste less bitter, and you can taste 72 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: the goodness God wants you to enjoy. Today and every day. 73 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: You have a choice. You're holding sea packets in your 74 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,679 Speaker 2: hands that will grow into something depending on the words 75 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 2: and actions you choose. So choose carefully. Ask God to 76 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,119 Speaker 2: help you plant what leads to life. Then trust that 77 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 2: in time the harvest will come and you'll see that 78 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 2: your decisions were worth making. Intersecting faith in life, as 79 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 2: you consider what you want to grow in your life, 80 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 2: reflect on these questions. What kinds of seeds have you 81 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 2: been planting recently with your words and action. Are there 82 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 2: any habits in your life that might lead to a 83 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 2: bitter harvest if they continue? Where do you sense God 84 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 2: inviting you to plant for the benefit of the spirit 85 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 2: instead of yourself. What's a conversation or situation coming up 86 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 2: where you can choose to plant better seeds now than 87 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 2: you have in the past. How can you rely more 88 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 2: on the Holy Spirit to plant the best seats now 89 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 2: for a good future harvest and a relationship with someone 90 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 2: you love? Further reading Hoseiah ten twelve, James three eighteen, 91 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 2: Galatians five twenty two through twenty three, Matthew twelve thirty four, 92 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 2: Proverbs eighteen twenty one. 93 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 94 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 95 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 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