But God doesn’t give the seed...does He?

Posted 09 Sep 2013

I read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 this morning (which you can see below), which is a figure of speech about farmers sowing & harvesting crops.

What struck me about the passage?
It was the thought that Christians CREDIT GOD with the provision of seeds for a farmer to sow; that we credit God with making the seeds grow & produce a harvest & that we credit God (& give thanks to Him) for enabling the farmer to grind the harvested seeds to make bread to eat. All of that is seen as “evidence” for holding the view that their is a God who cares & provides for us.

For atheists, evolutionists, & people who do not believe in a supreme being, they see EXACTLY the same information (seeds, plant growth, harvest, bread) but they do not credit a supreme being with any involvement in any of that.

So what struck me about this passage?… It was simply the fact that EXACTLY THE SAME information or “evidence” can be seen by different people, of different convictions, & INTERPRETED IN TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS. It was the realisation that there is probably no “evidence” at all which can categorically prove one thing to be absolutely true, beyond all doubt… simply because someone else can come along & interpret the same data in a completely different way.

I suppose that is why INFORMATION & EVIDENCE, of itself, can be unconvincing in support of one persons views, simply because exactly the same data can be interpreted in exactly the opposite direction, as a counter-argument! So, for me (a Christian), the existence of seeds, plants, the mystery of plant growth, harvesting & bread are all “evidence” of the existence of a loving & caring God. But I realise that EXACTLY THE SAME information or “evidence” (seeds, plant growth, harvest, bread) can be given a completely different interpretation by atheists & evolutionists, who would see that as evidence of their views on the non-existence of God & proof of their evolutionary ideas.

So it’s all really a matter of how we interpret the data we have. This is probably obvious to everyone else, but it was interesting for me to note this, this morning!

And for me personally, I’m still more than happy to interpret the data (of seeds, plant growth, harvest, bread, etc) as “evidence” for the existence of a loving, caring God who wants the very best for us.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NLT)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” [1] 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” [2]
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity [3] in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem [4] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

[1] Prov 22:8.
[2] Ps 112:9.
[3] Greek: righteousness.
[4] Greek: of God’s holy people.

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