Seed Time and Harvest Time

[Rebecca Beasley]

These principles apply to business just like they do to every day life. So take them into consideration when you're building your business. Think of this parable as you are "sowing seeds" into your business.
Learn the parable of the sower.
3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[a]"

13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
It can really be frustrating trying to build a business under these circumstances, but the ones who "hear the word and accept ti, and produce a crop thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown" are worth all the problems you might face. Your job is only to sow the seed as best you can, placing it into the hands of people, but not to be too worried about where the seed goes.

Where the seed goes is in God's hands and he can insure that there will be those who will hear it and accept it.

Also remember there is a time for sowing and a time for harvesting. If you try to harvest too soon, the young plants will not survive. You have to be patient and wait for the time of harvest, then you have to do the work.

It's not going to fall off the plants into the canning jars.:)