As I dropped that first piece of sod in our new Florida home, circa 1960, Dad yelled across the yard, "green side up!" I really didn't know which side went up, I guess it was obvious to Dad that I wasn't really born with the proverbial green thumb. Twenty plus years later, I'm getting ready to plant a vegetable garden at our new south Florida home and the local garden shop owner asked me, "Can you plant?" Well, I was starting to wonder about that myself but I'd also figured that the shop's owner had just sold me some bad seeds!

I'd already dug up the sod, built a fence, ran some string lines and was starting to plant some tomato seeds in my brand new home garden. I eagerly tore open the seed package and poured 20 to 30 tomato seeds into my hand. As I gazed upon these mysterious little flecks, I became convinced that nothing so dried up, shriveled up and dead looking could grow a tomato plant! No way could these seeds produce an abundant crop! Why! Those seeds looked useless to me, so I drove back to the garden shop and told the owner that the seeds weren't any good. The owner, trying not to laugh at me, assured me that the seeds were fine and that all tomato seeds looked dead and that all I needed was a little faith in the promise of the abundant crop that those seeds held. Faith! Promise of an abundant life! I was starting to wonder if the store owner was a Bi-vocational preacher. So not really believing him but thinking about his mention of faith, I went back home and planted those seeds. Skeptical, cynical, yes! I was sure that I had just wasted my time. Yet, a week or so later I noticed some thin scraggly growth coming from the ground. "Probably weeds" I figured. Weeks later, those thoughts came back to me as I stood in the garden amongst the tall tomato vines and an abundant crop of tomatoes. HEY! THOSE SEEDS REALLY DID WORK! My patience, preparation, dedication and perseverance was about to be rewarded! As I approached the six foot tall tomato plants, I was amazed by all those tomatoes! To think that about three months ago those plants were but a tiny seed! From such a tiny seed came tall majestic plants, some were six feet in height. All were full and bushy with maybe 40 or 50 tomatoes on each plant! The fruits were in various stages of growth. Some were ripe, some were green and some were just starting to grow from the flower. Little yellow flowers signified that more tomatoes were coming. What a bountiful harvest from such tiny seeds. How is such a miracle possible?

As I thought about this question and those tomato seeds I realized that was exactly how I had planted many of God's promises into the garden of my life. At first, I didn't really believe in some of those Biblical promises but, in FAITH, I had planted them and God had made them grow in my life's garden. HE watered them, nurtured them and made them bear fruit. Why, even some of those Biblical seeds that I was sure were dead, dried up and not relevant to my life had grown in the garden of my life, but only after I had planted them! Biblical promises, in the Bible, are like tomato seeds in a package, useless until believed in and taken out of their "packages"!

I don't really understand how a seed works--DO YOU? I don't know how it is that those GODLY SEEDS & GODLY PROMISES work but I know they work! I planted that old tomato seed, I tested it's ability to produce and I doubted. I wondered about it's capacity to produce an abundant crop. Why! Even when the seed started to grow I still questioned and doubted, I figured it was just another weed.

As I stood there in the garden, I thought once again of the Bible lessons on sowing and reaping. I had reaped many tomatoes because I had sown many tomato seeds. This principle will work in life's garden! I could sow the seeds of life and expect to harvest the gifts of life! I soon determined that the seeds of life are very similar to the seeds of the tomato. I recalled the sowing of seeds such as: love, friendship, enthusiasm, kindness, patience, desire, persistence, optimism, trust, good deeds, joy, faith, tithes, loyalty, gifts, offerings, wisdom, and honesty. What had I harvested from these seeds? Why! Just like I had reaped tomatoes from the tomato seeds, I had reaped exactly what I had sown. When I had loved, I had received love. When I had been friendly and caring I had reaped friends. Just as the tomato seed had produced, my seeds of life had also produced. When I planted the tomatoes, I expected and knew that I would reap tomatoes. Can I expect and know that if I sow trust I will reap trust? Yes! Oh, sometimes I may run across some dishonesty, when I expected honesty. However, just as the tomato plant may produce a few bad tomatoes, so will life sometimes produce a few bad fruits. The total harvest, however, will still produce exactly what I have sown. It is a law of God that cannot be broken.

For over 20 years I've been involved in a ministry of Christian Money Management and Biblical Stewardship and each seminar starts with me passing out a package of tomato seeds. I've given away thousands of tomato seed packages because I've come to realize that when comes to our God you can't OUT PLANT HIM! But, you will never grow an abundant crop in life's garden until you learn to plant "Seeds" of faith!

Have you planted any of God's Biblical promises in the garden of your life? Try some seeds of promise that you may even doubt. Give God a chance to grow an abundant crop in your life. Read JOHN 10:10. Well, don't just sit there, go read it.

Can you plant a tithe? Absolutely! Now, I know that many will not or cannot initially believe that this SEED will produce an abundant crop but let me, and thousands of other tithing gardeners, assure you that the tithing seed produces an abundant crop. Oh! The crop may not be monetary but it may be peace, joy, contentment and freedom from financial worry.

I'm a CPA and one day I decided to count the number of seeds in one of my huge tomatoes. I cut that tomato up and was counting the seeds when the thought struck me--Man can count the number of seeds in a tomato but can any one count the number of tomatoes in a seed?

NO! Absolutely not, only God can tell us how many tomatoes are in that seed. Can you tell me how many promises are in your gifts, tithes and offerings? I know you don't understand all of this and neither do I! But, we don't really need to know it all we just need to plant and believe. God will take care of the growing. Plant what you need in life and watch the abundant crop.

In the coming months I'll be writing a series of practical articles concerning Christian Money Management, The Stewardship of Life and Godly investing. Let's call the series " Planting Seeds in the Garden of Life." 1 Cor. 3:7 So neither he who plants or he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. N.V.

If you send me a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope, I'll send you a package of tomato seeds as a reminder of who the Master Gardener is and as we continue this series these tomato seeds will be a constant reminder of His power. 

MY  TOMATO SEED PACKAGES   &   
HAND-Outs have been given out at hundreds of churches through out the U.S.  If you'd like a Package of Seeds and a copy of the Step Out In Faith Wall Hanger, send a 9" by 12" self addressed stamped envelope (postage for 3 ounces) The acrostic handout is printed on a heavy parchment type card stock, suitable for framing or just hanging on the wall. Click on the buttons for more information.

Please note: Mr. Rick Kornmeier CPA CFP does not sell any financial or accounting services, books or tapes. His involvement with Consumer and Biblical Stewardship is a ministry that was started in the early 1980's strictly as a means of sharing his abilities with churches and Christians in need of his expertise.

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