Planting & Harvesting...

Hi friends,

I'm not one with a lot of experience in planting and harvesting (my fingers are not at all green!), but I do know that what one plants, one expects to harvest. So in James 3:18 it is interesting that James writes that peacemakers who plant seeds of peace will reap a harvest of righteousness.

Peace and righteousness are closely related - you cannot have true peace without righteousness, and righteousness brings true peace. This is a theme that occurs throughout Scripture:

Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! (Psalm 85:10)

this righteousness will bring peace (Isaiah 32:17)

Oh that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea. (Isaiah 48:18)

James draws on this well-known teaching and prophetic message that has been revealed to the people of Israel as he now instructs the church in the New Testament.

It is important for us to realise and live out this truth today. As peacemakers, we need to be people who sow seeds of peace. This is not the same as peace-keeping (which often just tries to maintain the status quo without rocking the boat). Peace-making is active and requires us to plant things in the soil of our lives, to water and nurture them as they grow. Sometimes this disrupts the landscape and makes it look different from before, but that is a good thing. In order to see and experience a harvest of righteousness, we must plant seeds of peace.

On this page I created an acrylic wash background, then stamped some pumpkins along the bottom from Vintage Van, along with leaves in different coloured inks. The campervan was stamped on watercolour card, watercoloured, cut out and stuck onto the page. The verse was stamped with a combination of Playful Alpha, Print Blocks Alpha and Armor of God. Here are the sets I used:

Let's be intentional about sowing seeds of peace so that we can see a harvest of righteousness - both in our lives individually, and in the world around us.

Be blessed...

x Amy x