By: Leslie Taylor
April 14, 2021
A few weeks ago I was reading through the book of Proverbs. I arrived at Proverbs 24:17-18, and I heard the still, small voice say this to me: “Seeds to Deeds”. And then I heard this…”if we despise (in our thoughts), then it grows to open mockery”. WOW. That got my attention. Then quickly the Lord began to unfold a very important principle that Solomon, Jesus, Paul, John, and others all spoke about in the scriptures.
Let me lay a little groundwork…
Proverbs 24:8 – There is one who makes plans to do evil – Master Schemer is his name. If you plan to do evil it is as wrong as doing it.
The plans are the seed form of the action. Taking our thoughts captive to the obedience to Christ is life and death.
2 Corinthians 10:5…We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.
Note: Complete obedience is a choice!
What does taking our thoughts captive mean? When you have a thought that is not in alignment with God’s heart and His principles of righteousness, literally arrest it and put in in jail, or better yet, make it a prisoner of war. God would not be telling us to take thoughts captive if it were an impossible thing to do.
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” or as The Passion Translation states “I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty”.
So we are told to pay close attention to whatever “thought” seeds we are sowing…remember this scripture…
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”. Philippians 4:13
Principle of seeds to deeds:
Matthew 5:27… Jesus’ words…”you have heard that it was said ‘you shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Jesus is saying understand the principle of “seeds become deeds”.
I John 3:15…”Everyone who keeps hating a fellow believer is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him”. This is another scripture which clearly shows the principle of seed (hatred) to deed (murder).
The fleeting thought is first, then we make a decision to make the thought a prisoner of war or not…whether or not to let it remain and continue the thought. If we do not take the thought captive it gains power and momentum as the thoughts are watered. This is how a lustful thought can grow into full blown adultery; or how a hate filled thought can grow into murder.
It is much easier to “conquer or take captive a thought” while it is in small seed form. Once it grows, more weaponry/power is required to conquer it and bring it into subjection… but remember we have the explosive power of Jesus Christ in us!
When there are destructive seeds in our lives, we literally must declare war on them if we don’t want to have to be fighting the full blown fruit that comes from those seeds.
If seeds are left to grow, then given time, there will be fruit…
SEED…..TIME….HARVEST
Will our harvest be the fruits of righteousness or the fruits of sin?
This principle of seeds to deeds is true for sin and for righteousness!
And how much more powerful and wonderful is the fruit of the seeds sown in righteousness! James 3:18… James describes it as wisdom from above to recognize this principle.
ACTION ITEMS:
1. REVEAL THOUGHTS THAT ARE BAD SEEDS
Holy Spirit, please reveal to us; shine Your light of truth on any seeds of unrighteousness of any kind that we have failed to put in jail or destroy. We desire to walk in complete holiness and righteousness and we ask for Your wisdom and love to come and show us where there are any seeds in us that create any distance between us and You. We want to be Your field (I CORINTHIANS 3:9), God’s field, a planting of the Lord.
2. REPENT FOR BAD FRUIT, WHERE BAD SEEDS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO MATURE; AND START AFRESH WITH HELP FROM THE SPIRIT. THIS IS WAR!
3. REJOICE IN THE LORD FOR HIS GRACE AND MERCY WHERE HE HAS GIVEN US THE WISDOM TO BEAR GOOD FRUIT FROM THE SOWING OF GOOD SEEDS!
BLESSINGS!!!!!