Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
Cast bread upon the waters means generous giving for the good of others is never wasted but will be found again after many days, whether in goods faithfully shared as stewards or in truth freely sown at apparent risk and loss. It calls for sowing the seed of truth broadly and persistently beside all waters, without knowing where it will take root or when results will appear. That sowing is to be everywhere without exception, reaching neighbors and many peoples through witness, godly life, books, papers, and Bible readings, including people of intellect, influence, and responsible position who are commonly counted hopeless. What is sown may seem to have little effect at first, yet it is not lost but lingers in memory and is kept alive and watered by the Holy Spirit until it springs up after a long time. The harvest is souls saved to the glory of God, who themselves become light-bearers carrying the gospel to others of their own class with time, means, and influence.
Sowing Truth Widely
Cast thy bread upon the waters means that generous giving for the good of others is not wasted but will be found again after many days, for material goods are held in stewardship and are to be shared to meet obligations to God and fellow human beings. It calls for faithful sowing even when results cannot yet be seen, risking resources and continuing to share truth among many peoples despite uncertainty, discouragement, or apparent loss, trusting God to bring an increase.
To sow beside all waters is to spread the precious seed of truth broadly and persistently, without knowing where it will take root or when results will appear, reaching people widely and laboring faithfully for their conversion. The seed is the message of truth, sown widely and patiently through both deliberate witness and the influence of a life shaped by grace, and it can be shared even where it is unwise to emphasize distinctive features of faith, since testimony on subjects people agree about can still draw them toward truth. This sowing is to be everywhere without exception, including among those in responsible positions, people of intellect and influence, and the higher classes who have made this world their all and are commonly counted hopeless and neglected. It is never to be controlled by feelings of hopelessness, because God knows those who are His and in His providence will direct them as He directed Cornelius, trusting the Holy Spirit to work miracles of genuine conversion not now discerned that even the greatest people on earth can receive.
Truth is to be made widely available without restricting its distribution to particular groups or waiting for another organization to act, keeping publications ready for immediate use and taking every opportunity to spread them, with results to come later. This sowing is done through sharing the gospel with neighbors by books, papers, and Bible readings, and by quietly and modestly leading people and families to investigate truth through Bible readings. It is done also by quiet ordinary acts of sharing Scripture and speaking about Jesus, and by young men and women consecrating their talents to God to spread truth including through publications.
The work involves earnest prayer and care, tears, and a heavy strain on mind and heart, so the faithful watchman laborer needs renewed strength and fresh things from God's word to keep the message alive and effective. It requires brave and faithful duty as workers together with God, with greater zeal and perseverance, making full use of opportunities without delay.
Trusting God for Harvest
What is sown may appear to have little effect at first and its results may not appear at once, but its fruit can appear after many days and after a long time. Quiet, ordinary acts of sharing Scripture and speaking about Jesus are sowing of precious seed of this kind, whose results may not appear at once yet can bring fruit after many days. Laboring for the conversion of sinners through earnest prayer and care is sowing of the same kind, whose fruit may appear after many days and bring glory to God.
Instruction in divine truth sown in the minds of students is not lost even when it seems to have little effect on mind and heart. When the work of teaching is wrought in God, lessons of divine truth linger in the memory even of the most careless students. Such lessons sown in the mind can remain there hidden for a time before they spring up.
The Holy Spirit keeps the sown word alive and waters the seed until it springs up and grows, so that it bears fruit to the glory of God. The word sown in teaching is thus kept alive by the Spirit and brought to growth after many days. Instruction given long before can in this way be watered until it springs up after many days and after a long time.
The promised harvest is souls saved and many people brought to salvation, with fruit to God's glory. Faithful sowing is therefore to continue even when results cannot yet be seen, risking resources and sharing truth among many peoples despite uncertainty, discouragement, or apparent loss, trusting God to bring the increase. Young men and women consecrating their talents to God and sowing widely, including through publications, with greater zeal and perseverance and full use of opportunities without delay, help bring that harvest of many to salvation. Those reached among all classes will accept divine principles and become agencies in God's hand to communicate light, carrying a special burden for other souls of their own class, feeling the gospel committed to them, and consecrating time, money, talent, and influence to bring means into the treasury and add new efficiency and power to the church.
Cast bread upon the waters means generous giving for the good of others is never wasted but will be found again after many days, whether in goods faithfully shared as stewards or in truth freely sown at apparent risk and loss. It calls for sowing the seed of truth broadly and persistently beside all waters, without knowing where it will take root or when results will appear. That sowing is to be everywhere without exception, reaching neighbors and many peoples through witness, godly life, books, papers, and Bible readings, including people of intellect, influence, and responsible position who are commonly counted hopeless. What is sown may seem to have little effect at first, yet it is not lost but lingers in memory and is kept alive and watered by the Holy Spirit until it springs up after a long time. The harvest is souls saved to the glory of God, who themselves become light-bearers carrying the gospel to others of their own class with time, means, and influence.
Sowing Truth Widely
Cast thy bread upon the waters means that generous giving for the good of others is not wasted but will be found again after many days, for material goods are held in stewardship and are to be shared to meet obligations to God and fellow human beings. It calls for faithful sowing even when results cannot yet be seen, risking resources and continuing to share truth among many peoples despite uncertainty, discouragement, or apparent loss, trusting God to bring an increase.
To sow beside all waters is to spread the precious seed of truth broadly and persistently, without knowing where it will take root or when results will appear, reaching people widely and laboring faithfully for their conversion. The seed is the message of truth, sown widely and patiently through both deliberate witness and the influence of a life shaped by grace, and it can be shared even where it is unwise to emphasize distinctive features of faith, since testimony on subjects people agree about can still draw them toward truth. This sowing is to be everywhere without exception, including among those in responsible positions, people of intellect and influence, and the higher classes who have made this world their all and are commonly counted hopeless and neglected. It is never to be controlled by feelings of hopelessness, because God knows those who are His and in His providence will direct them as He directed Cornelius, trusting the Holy Spirit to work miracles of genuine conversion not now discerned that even the greatest people on earth can receive.
Truth is to be made widely available without restricting its distribution to particular groups or waiting for another organization to act, keeping publications ready for immediate use and taking every opportunity to spread them, with results to come later. This sowing is done through sharing the gospel with neighbors by books, papers, and Bible readings, and by quietly and modestly leading people and families to investigate truth through Bible readings. It is done also by quiet ordinary acts of sharing Scripture and speaking about Jesus, and by young men and women consecrating their talents to God to spread truth including through publications.
The work involves earnest prayer and care, tears, and a heavy strain on mind and heart, so the faithful watchman laborer needs renewed strength and fresh things from God's word to keep the message alive and effective. It requires brave and faithful duty as workers together with God, with greater zeal and perseverance, making full use of opportunities without delay.
Trusting God for Harvest
What is sown may appear to have little effect at first and its results may not appear at once, but its fruit can appear after many days and after a long time. Quiet, ordinary acts of sharing Scripture and speaking about Jesus are sowing of precious seed of this kind, whose results may not appear at once yet can bring fruit after many days. Laboring for the conversion of sinners through earnest prayer and care is sowing of the same kind, whose fruit may appear after many days and bring glory to God.
Instruction in divine truth sown in the minds of students is not lost even when it seems to have little effect on mind and heart. When the work of teaching is wrought in God, lessons of divine truth linger in the memory even of the most careless students. Such lessons sown in the mind can remain there hidden for a time before they spring up.
The Holy Spirit keeps the sown word alive and waters the seed until it springs up and grows, so that it bears fruit to the glory of God. The word sown in teaching is thus kept alive by the Spirit and brought to growth after many days. Instruction given long before can in this way be watered until it springs up after many days and after a long time.
The promised harvest is souls saved and many people brought to salvation, with fruit to God's glory. Faithful sowing is therefore to continue even when results cannot yet be seen, risking resources and sharing truth among many peoples despite uncertainty, discouragement, or apparent loss, trusting God to bring the increase. Young men and women consecrating their talents to God and sowing widely, including through publications, with greater zeal and perseverance and full use of opportunities without delay, help bring that harvest of many to salvation. Those reached among all classes will accept divine principles and become agencies in God's hand to communicate light, carrying a special burden for other souls of their own class, feeling the gospel committed to them, and consecrating time, money, talent, and influence to bring means into the treasury and add new efficiency and power to the church.