Daily Devotional

¹ Cast your bread upon the waters,
For you will find it after many days.

⁶ In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.

- Ecclesiastes 11:1, 6 (NKJV)

As an old saying goes: “You reap what you sow.” The truth is, sowing is not an easy process. It requires good seed in hand, well-prepared soil, enough water, willingness to work, and the confidence that the harvest will come in abundance.

Perhaps you, like most people, do not live daily in the labor of farming. Still, we can imagine that for a common farmer, burying part of his livelihood in the ground with the hope that it will multiply later is truly a great step of faith! The farmer puts all his effort into preparing, planting, and watering the field so that his work may yield fruit and bring benefit to others. But remember, despite all the effort, it is God who makes the seed sprout and grow.

The same happens in our lives: we all have goals and objectives, but to achieve them we must sow them in God. We prepare the ground and cast the seed by faith, confident that our purposes will come to pass. But this will only happen if they are in accordance with the Lord’s will. Our trust must be placed in God, who makes all things possible.

Live by faith!

• Dream, plan, make an effort, but surrender everything by faith to the One who causes life to spring up and gives growth.
• Read Ecclesiastes 11. Casting your bread upon the waters may refer to the practice of sowing seed in flooded fields, or to trading grain by ships. Either way, the truth is that investing (time, work, resources, faith!) in our projects is necessary. Dedicate yourself and sow in faith, trusting in the Lord who always sustains you.
• Do not cross your arms waiting for results to fall from heaven. God gives you strength, wisdom, and zeal to work diligently as unto the Lord. Sow for the glory of God.
• Do not trust in your own effort and talent to bring benefits to yourself. Without God, we can do nothing.
• Have a thankful heart. Be grateful for the daily provision that God grants to those who believe in His Word.
• Today’s verses also apply to the Gospel. Share the living Bread that came down from heaven. There are many around you who are hungry and need to receive Him. Work without giving up; later there will be good results, by faith!

Prayer:

not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

- Hebrews 10:25

No one is an island. You can't live your Christian life alone. When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach the gospel, they went in groups of at least two. We are no better than the apostles. We need our family.

In Jesus, we are all children of God. That means we are family. Only as a family, as a church, do we grow and become stronger and succeed in fulfilling Christ's mission: to reach the world with the gospel. It's not easy (we all make mistakes), but it's essential. Don't ignore your family!

To become more united with the family of Christ:

• Get involved in a church
• Look for people you can pray with regularly
• Ask your pastor how you can help

Pray:

Lord Jesus, help me to love the brothers and sisters you have given me. I want to be a blessing to my spiritual family. May your love make us more united, so that more people can get to know you. Amen.