February 2025

In Galatians 6:7-9, the Apostle Paul instructs us to: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he who sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Whenever I read these verses, I’m always reminded of the story I once read and just how much sense it makes. It’s a story of a farmer and a baker and the story goes this way: “Once in a small village, there was a farmer who sold butter to a baker. Every day the farmer sold the baker one pound of butter. Then one day, the baker checked to see if he was getting the right amount of butter.

When the baker weighed the butter, he saw that it was less than a pound. So, he took the farmer to court angrily. In court the Judge asked the farmer, “Do you use a unit of measure to weigh the butter?” The farmer replied, “I have a scale, but I don’t have a proper weight. Every day the baker sells me a pound of bread, so I use my scale and give him the same amount of butter as the bread he gives me!”

The Judge realized the truth and said, “So, if the butter is not a full pound, it means you have been giving less bread to the farmer every day.” The baker was caught, he had been cheating the farmer. The farmer unknowingly gave him the same weight in butter. In life you get what you give. If you cheat others, you might end up getting cheated yourself, so always be honest!

It would does us all good to remember what has been referred to as the “Golden Rule.” We have two accounts of what Jesus Himself had to say concerning this matter. In Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31, Jesus had these Words to say: “Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Then He said, “And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise.”

In the days we are living in, it’s not enough for a Christian to tell people in the world to live right and to do what is right, but we must be willing to tell them by what authority backs up what we tell them. This is none other than the LORD JESUS CHRIST. God’s WORD must be final authority in our own lives before we will ever be able to make an impact on this lost and dying world.

Recently as I was waiting at a stop light, I had an encounter with a young man who decided to run a red traffic light when the light had turned green for me to proceed. He made a let turn in front of me and cut me off almost causing an accident. When we both had to stop at the next red light, I rolled my passenger window and told him that I saw everything and that he could have caused an accident.

He quickly apologized and said he was late for his Saturday Morning Study at his Church, and he never has time to wait for slow people, so he just speeds around them or runs through red lights because there are no law enforcement officers to write him a ticket. I asked him how he would feel if he caused an accident and possibly killed someone? “Oh,” he said, “I never thought about that.”

Instead of really laying into him, I calmly explained to him that he would reap what he sowed, and he really should ask for forgive from the Lord since he was a supposed  Christian and start obeying the traffic laws that have been given to us, just like the Word the Lord has given to us.

I’m not saying that any of us is perfect, and we all do make mistakes, but thank God He is always there and ready to forgive us and to help make the right decisions and choices. By following the “Golden Rule,” you will be surprised how the Lord will intervene on our behalf, and how much better you will feel by doing the right thing and doing good to others.

I want to encourage you to stay in faith this New Year. Stay in the Word of God every day. This is the only thing that will keep the Believer in the days we are living in. Keep INCREASE ON YOUR MIND, and continue speaking the right things and making the right confessions of faith. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; and remember “God loves you; we love you and JESUS IS LORD!”

In the Service of Our King,

Darrell G. Harrelson