Bill Mason is an intelligent man. He was on the road to a successful life. Financially, he was doing well. He was happily married. A property manager by day, he became a jewel thief by night, and a very good one at that. He loved the thrill of finding a rich prospect, casing the apartment where the person lived, making a plan, getting in, and grabbing the jewelry. He stole gems worth millions of dollars from the wealthy, the famous, and celebrities. Then, he got caught.
The first time around he caught a big break, got immunity in exchange for his testimony, and was slapped on the wrist by the justice system. Did he learn his lesson? No! Within two years, he was back at it, addicted to the thrill and the easy money. He got caught again, did several years in prison, was divorced by his wife, and destroyed his life. Now older and seemingly wiser, he wonders he would be living today if he had thought of the future, instead of chasing the thrill of the moment; if he would be successful, still with his first wife, whom he loved?
Most of us won't become thieves or criminals like Bill Mason, but a lot of us will look for shortcuts through life, for the easy way to 'success,' however we define that. Solomon wryly observed - "There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. " (Proverbs 14:12, The Message) Whether it is personal integrity, spiritual maturity, financial success, or building a solid marriage; this is the truth - it takes wisdom to see beyond today and requires sustained effort!
God teaches us about the law of planting and harvest and it is not just true about what we put in our gardens! It is true in everyway. We must keep in mind that what we plant is what we will harvest; that we will harvest more than we planted; and that we will harvest only after we plant seeds!
Hosea preached to God's people urging them to plant for a good harvest.
"Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’
"But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies..." (Hosea 10:12-13, NLT)
One reason some give in to the temptation of the quick and easy way is that the results are so immediate! A person without integrity buys a degree online, exaggerates her experience, and maybe gets the job she wants. It looks so easy! But, then when she is exposed as a fraud, she loses it all! A person with integrity who wants to prepare for a long career put years in the classroom getting her degrees, takes the entry level job, deals with boring, miserable situations so that she can ultimately own the dream God put in her heart.
Take a lesson from the garden - weeds grow without cultivation. They grow quickly but they produce no fruit! If someone offers you a way that is 'too good to be true,' it is! If an opportunity appears that looks like a shortcut to the top, it will almost certainly lead to disaster.
Offer yourself to the Lord today. Ask Him to give you the courage, the wisdom, the patience to plant for a good harvest. Here's a word from the Word to meditate on today. It's familiar, but do not rush through it. Read with understanding, asking God to plant it deep in your heart.
"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." (Galatians 6:7-9, NLT)
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