Sowed An Apple And Reaped A Lemon?

A Word by Thomas Griffin

Greetings! I want to share with you a brief testimony that I believe will bless you.

It was Sunday morning and I was feeling pretty happy. I was driving to church in my very first, debt free, car (SUV). No payments! I paid cash for the first time ever. My new car had a sweet paint job and was a solid buy that I was proud to have found! We were....finally... A TWO CAR FAMILY!!

Oh my Lord, what a blessing it was, and a long awaited one at that! No more dropping kids off, then the wife, picking them up from school on a late lunch break, driving back to my office, entertaining the kids while I squeezed out another hour or two on the paycheck and then back out to pick up Mandi before heading home EVERYDAY. Life was getting easier.

We had an incredible service that Sunday. I mean, revival was happening and we couldn't even make it through a worship practice without team members being totally wrecked in the glory of God! They were powerful times. We left service and went to eat lunch with a young couple we had just recently met.

As I was pulling into the parking lot the Lord said "Give Them Your Car". I immediately said "GET THEE BEHIND ME! HA!"

No, I'm just kidding. I knew it was the Lord. Surely satan would never lead me to do such a thing in the name of Jesus. In a heart posture of, "really, Lord?" I told my wife what Jesus had so gently asked me to do. I began to pour tears when she said what she said.... She said, "I'll never stop you from giving, no matter what it looks like. When the Lord tells you to do so, give!" She was in total agreement.

You know what? Her submission to the Lord blessed me. I was so moved that I said aloud to the Lord, "That Blessed Me"... and He said back to me... "Son, even more, that blessed ME!"

She really DIDN’T EVEN HESITATE. The obedience to the Lord testified of a beautiful heart surrendered. She said "God has never failed us; He'll work out a solution." And man, did He ever!!! I'll get to that in a second.

I walked to the car and the Lord told me to remember to "Sow as unto Me". So I walked the young man, his wife, and two children out to the car and told them "I like you, even love you, but I would never just give you this car. However, for whatever reason or prayer you've placed before the Lord, HE is giving you this car today."

I blessed them in the name of Jesus because it was Jesus' car, not mine, as I had given it unto the Lord.

Oh my, did tears flow. Little did I know, His wife and young toddler had to sit in the back of their pickup truck to ride anywhere because there was only enough room for the car seat up front. The Lord knew their need and supplied.

Once I heard the struggle they were in, my heart leaped and I said "LORD, at least one more time in my life, let me be used to touch a life like this in your name again." It was a rush of His love that poured through me. To touch someone’s life and let them know Jesus sees, and knows their need and is making a way...wow! To be used like that is still one of the greatest moments in my life. WHY?

Because here is Our Father, glorified, that we bear the fruit of Christ in the earth. It is Christ in you (and I) the hope of glory. When we are used to pour into other men, we are the hands of Jesus reaching and touching in the earth, thus fulfilling our purpose. Wow, Wow, Wow!

A few deep truths were planted in my heart that day and continue to be cemented in my heart every time I give. Really, in both Mandi’s and my heart.

These are some of the things we've learned through giving that can now, never be shaken. Wait till you read what happened after we sowed the super seed in just a minute. We learned...

Obedience in Giving Reveals Our Level of Submission to the Lord and, MORE IMPORTANTLY can INCREASE Our Level of Submission to the Lord.

Obedience in Giving Reveals Our Trust in the Lord with things that we value.

Obedience in Giving is Beautiful to The Lord not because of how much is given, but because the richness of relationship that increases as we trust Him more and more no matter how it looks, or feels to the flesh.

Obedience is worship that makes His words and desire work through you.

Obedience in Giving Is Likely to Be about Someone Else's Provision and Blessing as much as it is about unlocking a harvest in your own life.

You can give your way out of any difficult financial situation if you will give as unto the Lord. Not as unto a church, or a ministry, but as unto the Lord and let Him direct the planting of the seed.

Here's what happened next… I told the Lord (as if He didn't know, ha!), that I needed a replacement car. That week it came. IT WAS TERRIBLE, a major step-down in condition. In fact, you had to start it with a butter-knife, but it drove.

I was so grateful though. If for nothing, but the level of ease it provided for our lifestyle. No, the air conditioner didn't work and the windows wouldn't roll down to escape the Florida heat, but it ran! After parking behind corners and walking the long way up the office so others didn't see, I really kind of got used to it.

I had been driving it for a week or two and determined I would not complain to the Lord. I had been holding back my frustration, but I burst! I told the Lord how I thought if I sowed apple seeds, I get apples, but I sold an apple and got a lemon. ???????Through the frustration the joy of the Lord hit me and I began to laugh uncontrollably. The Lord told me, "Thomas, I never asked you to get used to this. This too, is for a purpose." I could feel Him laughing with me... this was the second time He and I shared an emotion. His Joy so strengthened me that day, I even pulled the car right up to the front doorway of the church office to never again be ashamed of the lemons, I mean blessings, God's provides.

A few days later, my father-in-law called me up and said "Thomas, I want to buy you a car." A few details, and several thousand dollars later, I had my dream car; a royal blue Chrysler 300 (we call it The Bishop's car). I was so happy that Jesus worked all things together for my good. Had I never sown, I'd never have had the need, and my father-in-law’s heart would have never been moved. I would have robbed myself of the BEST of what God wanted for my life.

I was driving down the road in my new car, and I received a call from my mother. She said, "Hey, I know you’re not selling this car", referring to the butter-knife lemon, "but there is a couple with young children out here that don't have a car. They saw it sitting by the road out in the yard and were curious if it was for sale".

I felt the love of God jump through me just like when we gave the first car, and I told my mom to give them the car, sight unseen. I didn't need to meet them, to know them, to see them, or qualify them. I learned to trust in Jesus and when He says "release the seed", I need to do so and HE will watch over it. I wasn't sowing unto that couple anyway, I was sowing unto the Lord, so none of the other details even mattered. The phone call happened so quickly. When I got off the phone... I asked the Lord "What was that?!" and He said "I gave you seed to sow to unlock your harvest, and answered your prayer, Son." I was immediately reminded of how I asked the Lord to let me give a car away again. Bam! He worked all things together to unlock a harvest in my life TWICE, and bless others in the process through a SUPERSEED.

Four days later, I get a call from an attorney saying that a hospital bill had been cancelled and the money they held out to pay for it from the wreck settlement was waiting to be picked up. I thought, "Awesome, a few extra hundred to pay bills!" Man, was I wrong. He does exceedingly, abundantly and above all we could ever ask or think if we will just trust Him with what's in our hands. I picked up the check and almost passed out when I read $16,000. With what was spent on the car from my father-in-law, it was ten-fold what I paid for the first car I gave away.  

Wow, Wow, Wow! He has never failed us. I wait for those still small moments where He softly speaks and asks me to sow a super seed. Tonight was one of those nights. I again told Mandi that He asked me to sow a super seed so that He can unlock a harvest. Oh man, I've never been more excited to sow and trust Him because we, probably like you, have financial needs that are so big, it will only be a solution from God that turns it around. God-sized solutions will come when you can put super seed in His hands. I'm not telling you what I heard, I'm telling you what I know; what He has proven.

He is no respecter of persons. What He has done for us, He will do for you, if you will let Him. A moment of SUPER SEED SOWING is here. Ask the Lord where to sow, and sow unto Him. No matter what it looks like, obey! Prove His goodness. There is a special grace right now for an increase in ROI. Return on Investment is increasing right now in this season. Be a wise sower and trust Him alone as to where, and how much to sow because ONLY HE holds the yield.

I sowed an apple and God gave me an apple tree. And BTW, that family we sowed the last car into, loved the lemon. This wasn't the last time God proved himself. I'll write you one day about the time I had my car stolen from me in front of a church I was ministering at and He caused a minister 150 miles away to call me up and give me a car.

It was like a love letter from Heaven saying, "I still remember that seed you sowed many years ago"... oh, and by the way... He keeps on giving. Mandi and I just bought, in cash, a great car for the family when we had very little money to our name. Five thousand below bluebook value and it is EXACTLY what we need. When you sow unto the Lord, the seed will produce for seasons, even generations to come!

???????Trust He who holds the yield with your seed, and sow with wisdom when He says He is increasing the return on investment, as He has stated this season. Today, you may be in need of a new vehicle, a new job, or a miracle for your finances. Right now as you read this something is stirring in the supernatural for breakthrough.

 By sowing into Supernatural Kingdom Ministries, you will be helping us reach more people as we advance the Kingdom of God gospel on earth. Thank you for supporting this ministry financially. Everything we do is made possible because of the prayer and support of people just like you. God works through your generous gifts to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to millions of people worldwide. We are grateful for your faithful obedience to our Father. https://www.supernaturalkingdomministries.org/give.html