Any gardeners among RP members? You know that planting a garden takes planting and watering. Where does the water and soil come from. If we forget what God has blessed us with, we will come up short in our harvest. We started life on earth in a garden and the garden sustains life. But without the creator in our planning He won’t give us an increase. Same with all of our abilities and skills. We must put our God first to have an abundance of increase in what we want. We can not forget the source. I pray that y’all will find merit in tonight’s I-Bible devotion. Be Blessed my RP Family.

I-Bible.com
1
Corinthian 3:7-8
“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

1 Corinthians 3:7-8
Daily Reading Plan

Read:
1 Corinthians 3:1-23


Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 20:1-20 ; Acts 17:1-34
GOD GIVES THE INCREASE
According to the Bible, life on earth started in a garden. In fact, the Bible is filled with references to gardens and gardening or farming. When you go through Jesus's parables, most refer to growing things. He prayed before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. The place where Jesus was crucified on a cross, where He was nailed to “a tree,” also was near a garden. Then on resurrection morning ( Easter ) the two women mistook Jesus, resurrected from the dead, as a gardener.

“Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” (John 19:41)

The Bible references planting and harvesting, seeds and soil, vines and plants, fruitfulness and barrenness. All of these carried meaningful truths for the people in Bible times. It was easily understood by people, whose day-to-day relationship with growing things was a necessity to their daily lives.

Even though some of us may be city slickers today, most of us still have some connection to the garden and nature beyond our doorsteps. And those same truths are easily grasped today. There are so many lessons to be learned from the cycle of life in a garden or gardening on a farm.

Which is why in today’s Bible verse, Paul is making a statement that should penetrate each of us right into our hearts and minds. Your focus of ministry needs to be about God. Period! With no God, there is no increase, no success, and no value. Without God, there would be no gifts, no skills, or no fruits. Without God, there would be no us. Because of God, one person is given certain talents while someone else is given the complement to those gifts, both designed by God to fulfill His purpose only.

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:11)

In today's Bible verses, Paul is planting while Apollos is watering, both chosen by God to perform His service.

“But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” (Matthew 15:13)

Unless God is at the center, nothing that we plant will ever bear fruit. Most of the time we forget that part and go ahead with the planting and then ask God to bless our work with good fruit. It doesn’t work that way. We must put God first before we start anything, even our day. In fact, the Bible says that God will not allow those plants to remain; He will remove them completely.

“But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:8)

How much time do you waste trying to complete your plans, meet your standards, control your progress, and make your deadlines? How do you personally plant and water specific areas of your life?

If you are feeling frustrated, tired, and stressed, comparing yourself to others, then you are missing what God has for you. You must realize that God has given you the talents and skills to plant and water, but all for God’s purposes and to His glory. Without God, there will be no growth and no success.

“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:7-8)

When you read this, we want it to bless you and make you feel that this is needed to be shared. We want today’s devotion to uplift and strengthen you and as you are going through your day today remember, God gives the increase!

Will you depend on God for your increase today?
Do you need Prayer? We are here to pray with you.
“Heavenly Father, I trust in You knowing You are at the center of my life. I will be obedient where You put me to sow or water. I know only You can produce the increase. I make myself available to be used by You. I do not want to be a life lived to myself, but I want to learn all that You have to show me by the planting, seedtime, and harvest. I know there are many truths You want to show me, so I make myself available to learn and hear Your voice. I know You lead my focus of ministry and it will be about You. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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Unless God Is At The Center, Nothing That We Plant Will Ever Bear Fruit.