God Gives the Increase

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase."

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

A person need not be a farmer by trade to know acres of desirable crops do not spring up on their own.  A bountiful harvest is enjoyed only after much labour and expense.  The ground must be cleared, tilled, and irrigated.  Good seed must be planted at the appropriate time and spaced according to each kind.  Vigilance is required to protect the growing plants from insects and rodents.  After the planting and watering, then a fruitful harvest may result.  There is no guarantee offered the farmer his efforts will be rewarded with the same degree of fruitfulness every year.  But his faithful labour greatly affects the end result.

No farmer could lay claim to creating seeds, plants, or fruit.  God is the Creator, and skilled farmers have learned methods, devised equipment, pest control measures, and nutritious feed to maximise the potential of a crop.  Paul did not have a fancy presentation or use manipulative techniques when he shared the Gospel.  Yet people responded to the message of salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul could not lay claim to the salvation of a single soul.  He had sowed the good seed of God's word which fell on various hearts:  some hard, others had thin and rocky soil, some choked with thorns, and others fell on good soil.  It was not his seed, and it was not even his labour which brought forth a harvest of souls.  Apollos nurtured the young believers, but he only did what was his calling and duty to do.  It was God who caused souls to be saved.  It was God who continued to mature and cause people's lives to be fruitful.  God, by His grace, made the efforts of Paul and Apollos effective in His time and divine way.

We can make the mistake of looking for a harvest before we have been faithful to plant or water!  We can perform the equivalent of planting a single seed or watering for a day, but when growth or fruit is not immediately evident we can lose heart and see our efforts as wasted.  This reveals a lack of faith in God's Word and His everlasting promises.  God has promised His Word will always accomplish what He pleases and prosper in the purpose for which it was sent (Is. 55:11).  Christians ought to keep planting, keep watering, and be led by the Spirit in obedience to His will regardless if we see the harvest we set our hearts upon and long to see.  If we set our hearts upon the harvest, we are focused on the wrong thing.  Disillusionment, weariness, and despair will be the fruit of this error.  Our eyes are to be fixed on Christ, and our hearts founded on His Word.  We are God's fellow labourers, and He will bring the increase.  Our eyes may never see it, but it's good to remember the harvest is not for us.  It is for Him and Christ's eternal glory.

Do no lose heart, Christian labourer!  Do not be fooled into thinking you should stop planting or watering because you have not perceived increase.  It is folly to quit planting or watering because you do not yet have fruit.  The fruit of your efforts is not for you to consume for the satisfaction of your flesh, but to plant again so there will be even more eventual fruit.  God is faithful to supply all our needs.  When we realise we are nothings God has chosen, called, and equipped to serve Him, what joy floods the soul.  He does not put the burden of a fruitfulness quota on us like the Egyptians did on the Hebrews, but to plant, water, or to faithfully do whatever it is God has called us to do.  Are you planting?  Are you watering?  If not, then don't expect to see much fruit.  Though we are nothing, God gives the increase!