It Came Up Squash

Bible Reading: Galatians 6:7-10

“Everything looks delicious,” said Miguel’s dad as the family began to eat. There was a twinkle in his eye as he added, “Please pass the watermelon, Miguel.”

Miguel paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Watermelon?” he asked, looking around. “What watermelon?”

“Right there in that bowl in front of you,” said Dad.

Miguel looked at the bowl heaped full of golden squash. He was about to protest when he suddenly understood. “Oh, uh, sure, Dad. Here’s the watermelon.” Miguel laughed as he passed the bowl of squash.

“I don’t get it,” Miguel’s sister Celina said with a frown. “That’s squash. Why are you calling it watermelon?”

Dad grinned and waited for Miguel to explain, but Miguel got busy eating and pretended not to hear the question. Celina repeated it. “Well…uh…” Miguel began. “I just made a little mistake when we were planting the garden, that’s all—but Dad won’t let me forget it.”

Celina looked at her father. “What did he do?” she asked.

“Miguel wanted to grow watermelons,” Dad explained, “and I told him he was using squash seeds. But would he believe me? Oh no! He insisted they were watermelon seeds.”

“It was a perfectly understandable mistake,” Miguel said. “They look a lot alike.”

“Miguel told me if I’d just be patient and wait until they grew, I’d see for myself,” continued Dad. “I waited…and here’s the finished product.” As Dad held up the bowl of squash, Miguel couldn’t help but laugh along with everyone else.

“Like the Bible says, you reap what you sow,” said Mom. “That sure is true, both in a garden and in life. We all need to make sure we sow the right kind of seeds.”

“Especially in our lives,” said Dad. “If we live to please ourselves and sow evil deeds, we can expect to reap evil and sorrow. But if we put our faith in Jesus and sow good things that come from His Spirit living inside of us, we can expect to reap joy and blessings.”

Mom nodded. “Whatever we plant in life is what we’ll get. That’s why we must trust in Jesus and depend on Him to produce His love and goodness in us.”

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?

What are you sowing in your life? Are you living to please yourself and sowing things like selfishness, lies, and greed? Or are you trusting God to help you sow good things such as love, kindness, and forgiveness? The Bible tells us we can’t produce anything good in our lives without Jesus. Trust Him as your Savior. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.) Then depend on the Holy Spirit to help you sow seeds that will reap joy and blessing.

Today’s Key Verse:
Galatians 6:8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

You reap what you sow