I planted the seed, Apollos
watered it, but God made it grow.
—1 Corinthians 3:6
Here are two opposite-outcome scriptures.
The first is tragic . . .
“The people worshiped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him . . . Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn’t know anything of God . . . they deserted God, the God of their parents . . .” (Judg. 2:7, 10-12 MSG).
The second is triumphant . . .
“[T]he rain and the snow come down from heaven . . . watering the earth and making it bud and flourish . . . so is my word . . . It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10-11).
To avoid the first, we must invest ourselves in the second: We depend on God for the harvest. God depends on us for the planting—generation after generation.
The farmer can’t make the crop grow,
but the crop won’t grow without the farmer.