“Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.” (Ecclesiastes 11:6 NLT)

 

Here’s something amazing to think about. Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul, was doing the work of God’s kingdom before he was even in it. Remember, Saul was one of the early enemies of the Christian faith. He zealously persecuted believers, which led many to flee their homes and move to distant lands—taking the gospel with them.

Had Saul not been so relentless in his persecution of the church, I think the first-century Christians probably would have been content to stay in their little holy huddle in Jerusalem and never leave town. After all, their situation was almost ideal. God had blessed their evangelism efforts in the city, so there were believers all around. They had no need to leave Jerusalem. But because of Saul’s persecution, Christians were forced to spread out. They took the Good News of Jesus to places where it may not have gone otherwise, or at least not as quickly as it did.

Eventually, of course, Saul stopped persecuting believers and became a believer himself. And I think the person who might have had the greatest influence in bringing about his conversion was Stephen, the church’s first martyr. I believe it could have been Stephen’s bold testimony that threw fuel on Saul’s fire because Saul was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Stephen didn’t have a long ministry. He never wrote a book of the New Testament. But if his only convert was Saul of Tarsus, then his ministry was profoundly successful.

The same goes for your Christian ministry. You may not reach millions with the gospel. You may not reach thousands. You may not reach hundreds. But you may be the person whom God uses to reach someone who will, in turn, change the world. Or it may be a child you raised in the way of the Lord who reaches someone else, who talks to someone else, and eventually shares the gospel with someone like Saul. So, here’s what you need to realize: It’s not over until it’s over.

Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both” (NLT). You don’t have to know what your spiritual work will yield. All you have to do is seize every opportunity that’s presented to you.

That’s the takeaway from the story of Saul and Stephen. As believers, we need to be faithful in sowing the seed of the Word of God, because we don’t know where that seed will go—in this life, in the next generation, or in the generation after that.

We sow the seed; God takes it from there.

 

Reflection question: What would sowing the seed of the Word of God look like in your life right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don&rsquo;t know if profit will come from one activity or another&mdash;or maybe both.&rdquo; (Ecclesiastes 11:6 NLT)
&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s something amazing to think about. Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul, was doing the work of God&rsquo;s kingdom before he was even in it. Remember, Saul was one of the early enemies of the Christian faith. He zealously persecuted believers, which led many to flee their homes and move to distant lands&mdash;taking the gospel with them.
Had Saul not been so relentless in his persecution of the church, I think the first-century Christians probably would have been content to stay in their little holy huddle in Jerusalem and never leave town. After all, their situation was almost ideal. God had blessed their evangelism efforts in the city, so there were believers all around. They had no need to leave Jerusalem. But because of Saul&rsquo;s persecution, Christians were forced to spread out. They took the Good News of Jesus to places where it may not have gone otherwise, or at least not as quickly as it did.
Eventually, of course, Saul stopped persecuting believers and became a believer himself. And I think the person who might have had the greatest influence in bringing about his conversion was Stephen, the church&rsquo;s first martyr. I believe it could have been Stephen&rsquo;s bold testimony that threw fuel on Saul&rsquo;s fire because Saul was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Stephen didn&rsquo;t have a long ministry. He never wrote a book of the New Testament. But if his only convert was Saul of Tarsus, then his ministry was profoundly successful.
The same goes for your Christian ministry. You may not reach millions with the gospel. You may not reach thousands. You may not reach hundreds. But you may be the person whom God uses to reach someone who will, in turn, change the world. Or it may be a child you raised in the way of the Lord who reaches someone else, who talks to someone else, and eventually shares the gospel with someone like Saul. So, here&rsquo;s what you need to realize: It&rsquo;s not over until it&rsquo;s over.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, &ldquo;Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don&rsquo;t know if profit will come from one activity or another&mdash;or maybe both&rdquo; (NLT). You don&rsquo;t have to know what your spiritual work will yield. All you have to do is seize every opportunity that&rsquo;s presented to you.
That&rsquo;s the takeaway from the story of Saul and Stephen. As believers, we need to be faithful in sowing the seed of the Word of God, because we don&rsquo;t know where that seed will go&mdash;in this life, in the next generation, or in the generation after that.
We sow the seed; God takes it from there.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would sowing the seed of the Word of God look like in your life right now?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Be faithful in sowing the seed of the gospel; God will take care of the yield.