Sunday, August 21, 2022

A Time to Reap

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). First, I must confess that this is probably my least favorite topic to talk about, and that’s because I’ve seen God’s judgment first-hand. It’s really scary to witness. As a matter of fact, it can be quite traumatizing. I’m thinking about how it must have affected King David and his men to see Uzzah’s extreme punishment of death after reaching out to catch the Ark of the Covenant to keep it from falling. David was filled with anger and awe-inspiring fear of God! This happened because he failed to follow God’s precise instructions and refused to revere God’s words. 

I would like to share a situation I went through a while ago that shook me to my very core. At the church I was attending, I met an older, wise lady who was a seer. I only knew her from seeing her at church playing the piano. One day after church, we spoke briefly, and I gave her my business card. Well, when she called me on this particular day, I was overwhelmed, hurt, tired, and very drained. I cried as she prayed and prophesied to me. I will share one part of her prophecy. She told me that it was reaping time for everyone who had hurt me. As I am writing this, I’m thinking of Joseph in the Bible who was mistreated by his brothers. However, in time, not only did they have to bow down to him, but they also had to pay a price for how badly they treated him. What we fail to realize is when we hurt others and do evil deeds, they will boomerang (return) to us. Back to the prophecy. About two or three months later, I watched what this precious lady told me unfold before my eyes, and what I saw wrecked me. I saw God’s wrath, which is His divine punishment and chastisement, manifest. It was not nice. I always had a reverential fear for the holy, sovereign, righteous God who sits on His holy throne. However, I saw a side of His judgment and wrath that terrified me. Yes, He is long-suffering toward us, but there comes a set/appointed time when He says enough is enough and His grace runs out. Now, it’s reaping time! I saw hell break loose in the lives of some people who had wounded me and made me cry. I tell you the truth. It pained me to witness it. I didn’t rejoice because it was really sad. I even saw some who had consistently rejected the LORD reap their idolatry. None of us are exempt from God’s judgment, and those of us who know better are judged harsher. The Holy Bible says when you know to do right and do wrong, you will be whipped with many stripes (Luke 12:47). However, when you don’t know the difference, you will only get a few. Just as a father chastises his son, so God will chastise His sons and daughters whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6). Let me assure you again that you cannot callously hurt and mistreat God’s people, and do what’s wrong and evil to them without paying a price. The day of reckoning will come. So, precious child of God, you don’t have to worry or fret when you are mistreated and wronged or when men speak and do evil against you. Don’t try to pay people back and take vengeance on them. God will deal with them in His own way and time. Vengeance is mine says the LORD. I will repay (Romans 12:19). Today or whenever you read this, God is extending an opportunity to you to humble yourself, repent, and ask Him for forgiveness. Now is the appointed time. I am talking about sincere and godly sorrow for what you have done to hurt yourself or others. Who knows? God may relent. We can change His mind. We see this with King Ahab, the king of Nineveh, and others in the Holy Bible. I urge you to be careful how you treat people. Treat them like you would treat yourself. Treat them as if they were your mother, father, sister, brother, son, or daughter. It’s really simple. My father used to always say, “Treat everybody right, even treat the devil right.” When you take advantage of others, someone will take advantage of you. When you cause others to cry, you will cry. So, there is no need to act surprised when you find yourself on the receiving end. When we sow good deeds, good things happen to us. When we help others, God will always send someone to help us in our time of need! I’ve seen it countless times in my life. During this same time, the Lord remembered me, blessed me, and rewarded me for my faithfulness and obedience to Him and His Word. He also did it because I helped and blessed His people and planted good seeds in their lives. What I did in secret, He rewarded me openly for. You don't go around boasting about those things. The Holy Scriptures tell us as long as the earth remains, there is seed time and harvest time! All glory to you Lord Y’shua! Whatever you plant will grow! Please note: every day, I’m striving to walk in God’s ways and do what is right and pleasing in His sight! Some days, Lord knows it’s not easy. Most importantly, as a parent, you can cause negative things to happen in the lives of your children by your actions. Your negative behavior can negatively affect them. That is a different subject for a different day. We must also understand that God desires no one to go to eternal hell or damnation (even though we might desire that sometimes). He said He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their wicked ways (Ezekiel 33:11). However, if they continue in their wickedness, God has no other choice but to send forth His righteous judgment. I found an interesting scripture a while ago in the Holy Bible where God said he saves the punishment of the wicked for their children. “You say, ‘God stores away [the punishment of] man’s wickedness for his children.’ Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it”(Job 21:19). I recall a situation when someone physically hurt my son as a baby. The mother tried to uphold this evil act that was done by her daughter and she died I believe that same year or the following year. I’m not certain about the timing. She hired an attorney who lied on me to try and defame my character, but it all backfired. Some of my relatives wanted to take revenge on her and her family, but God will always take vengeance against those who hurt us. He will trouble those who trouble us according to His Word! It’s a dangerous practice to be wicked, evil, mean, wretched, cruel, cold-hearted, hard-hearted, and lowdown. These can bring severe consequences and repercussions. God sees. Nothing is hidden from His eyes. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” On the flip side of that, 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His.” It’s spiritually healthy to have a reverential fear of God. To fear Him means to honor, respect, and love Him so much that your desire is not to purposely and deliberately hurt Him. Obey His commands and precepts. I ask You, Holy One of Israel, to help us walk upright before You, to honor, respect, and have reverential fear for You, and walk in Your ways. It’s difficult when we try to do it in our own strength, but I ask You to do through us what we can’t do ourselves. In Y’shua’s mighty and awesome name. All blessings, honor, glory, power, and dominion to Him who sits on His throne!

The Holy Bible tells us, “Be not mocked, whatsoever a man sows that shall he reap” (Galatians 6:7). Not my words, but God’s

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