Is Your Seed Still In The Barn?

Recently, while in my everyday Bible reading, I found myself in the book of Haggai. Yes, Haggai! His most quoted passage – and I paraphrase – you don’t have much because your pockets have holes in them!

God was upset with His people for neglecting Him. What got hold of me was Haggai 2:19 where God asks: “Is the seed still in the barn?” Those words were jumping off the page and flashing like a neon sign. God was asking me! Did I have seed still in my barn?

Confused at first, I was asking what seed? My seed? Your seed? God’s answer was – any seed that I have given you! After some serious discussion with Him, I knew I needed to be reminded not to leave any seed in my barn for three reasons: see has potential; seed has power; and seed has promise.

Potential: A seed planted has potential to produce billions of other seeds. Don’t waste it – recognize it. God’s seed is critical to His plan (Gen. 9:7). No seed – no fruit! God’s plan is clear: plant, reap, and do it again. Each seed has potential purposed by God. The purpose is harvest. Getting our seed out of the barn shows God we expect a harvest.

Power: Many times in scripture God refers to His Word as seed (Mark 4:14). The law of seed-time and harvest cannot be altered. Power is manifested when the seed of the Word is planted in a heart. Proverbs 4:22 says that those words “are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.” Lives are changed. Transformation happens. Miracles are the harvest!

Promise: God gives us seed and promises a harvest on our sown seed. (There are no guarantees like this in the stock market!) Investing God’s way is preparing for our future. Supernatural laws take over. Jesus explains in Luke 8:11-15 in the Parable of the Sower that our commission is to sow the Word of God. Then we will “come back singing for joy, as they bring in the harvest (Ps. 126:6).

Eventually, I realized God was calling me to do a barn check, but I still wasn’t clear as to what seed might still be in my barn. God made me realize that any gift or talent to be used, any money or food to be shared, any love or forgiveness waiting to be given were precious seeds going to waste in my barn. And, God wanted any seed to be planted now in order to advance His Kingdom here on earth (Gal. 6:7-8).

Jesus Himself says of the crowds following Him – “The Kingdom suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” He was describing the enthusiastic and excited throngs pressing in on all sides as an army on the march, seeking a blessing.

Let’s be part of the answer for that crowd. See the potential harvest. Believe that God’s promises for your seed have power to bless and change lives. Fire your seed out like ammo believing that it will get planted in hearts and you will reap a harvest. Enlist in God’s army of seed sowers!

The rest of Haggai 2:19 says: “As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.”

When does this promise of God kick in? When we get the seed out of the barn !