We’d be taking our bible text from Genesis 8:22:
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” — Genesis 8:22 (NKJV)
Let me talk to you for a moment about something powerful, something God Himself designed into creation: the cycle of increase.
When you look around, you’ll notice that almost everything operates in cycles. Business has its ups and downs: boom, recession, recovery. Technology moves in versions and updates, software development cycles, product lifecycles, brand lifecycles. Even nature follows this rhythm: day and night, winter and summer.
A cycle is simply a sequence of events or stages that repeats in a regular pattern, often returning to where it started. Think of planting a seed: you plant, it grows, it bears fruit, and from that fruit come new seeds. Then the process begins again.
Every cycle has three core elements:
Repetition – it happens again and again.
Stages or phases – every cycle has its distinct parts: birth, growth, decline.
Continuity – the end of one cycle leads to the beginning of another.
Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 captures it so beautifully:
“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven.”
And it goes on to list those divine opposites, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to be born and a time to die. Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. God also works in cycles.
Yes, He operates in divine order, in heavenly systems and structures. One of His most powerful systems is what I like to call the cycle of Seed, Time, and Harvest. If you truly understand this, you will never live in lack of any kind again. You’ll walk in divine increase, not just financially, but spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and in every area of your life.
So, let’s walk through this divine cycle is really about:
1. The Seed:
Every increase begins with a seed. You can’t expect a harvest if you haven’t sown anything. Genesis 8:22 tells us clearly: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…”
A seed is your act of faith. It can be anything: your time, your treasure, your talent, or your tool. It’s whatever you release in faith.
Think about Ruth. Her seed was her loyalty and humility. She chose to stay with Naomi and follow the God of Israel. That decision made her part of the lineage of Jesus.
Or Abraham, his seed was obedience. When he was willing to offer Isaac, God said,
“Because you have done this thing… blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants…” (Gen 22:16–18)
And then there’s Dorcas (Tabitha) in Acts 9:36–40. Her seed was her talent. She used her sewing skills to clothe widows and help the poor, she died but God raised her back to life through Peter!
Even Peter sowed his tool, his fishing boat, for Jesus to preach from in Luke 5:1–7, and his obedience brought a miraculous harvest of fish.
So, let me ask you: what are you sowing today? Because the quality of your seed determines the quality of your harvest. And don’t despise your seed. It may look small, but it carries multiplication power!
2. Key Biblical Principles About Seeds:
A seed might look simple, but it’s packed with divine principles.
First, a seed is potential. It’s small but holds everything it needs to become something great. Remember the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31–32? Though tiny, it grows into a large tree, showing us that small faith or beginnings can produce mighty results.
Second, seeds must be sown.
They can’t fulfill their purpose sitting on a shelf. Jesus said in John 12:24, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
Third, sowing and reaping is a spiritual law.
According to Galatians 6:7, it says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
You can’t sow nothing and expect something. You can’t plant laziness and reap success. Proverbs 12:24 says, “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.”
Fourth, seeds need the right environment.
Good soil, water, light, and time. Spiritually, this means staying rooted in God’s Word, nurturing your faith, and guarding your heart.
Finally, seeds can be dormant.
They don’t grow overnight. That’s why Genesis 8:22 says “seedtime and harvest”, notice the “time” in between. This is your season of trust. It’s where patience is perfected and character is built.
Joseph understood this. He had a dream, but it took 13 years before he saw it fulfilled. Through betrayal, slavery, and prison, he kept sowing, managing resources, interpreting dreams, solving problems. And when his time came, the harvest was undeniable.
So don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith. Your seed is germinating. Delay is not denial. God is working in the unseen.
3. The Greatest Seed — You:
John 12:24 again: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” Jesus wasn’t just talking about a plant, He was talking about Himself. He offered His life as a seed, and look at the harvest today: over 2.6 billion believers worldwide!
Before the cross, John called Him “the only begotten of the Father.” But after the cross, Paul called Him “the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29). Jesus became the first of many, and you are part of that harvest!
Now imagine what happens when you offer yourself to God as a seed. Not just your time, but your time, treasure, talent, and tools. Everything.
Isaiah 61:3 calls us “trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.”
Psalm 1:3 says we’ll be “like a tree planted by rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in season, whose leaf will not wither, and whatever we do shall prosper.”
That’s God’s picture of divine increase.
How to Sow Yourself to God as a Seed
Let’s get practical. How do you offer yourself to God as that seed?
1. Surrender Completely to God’s Will:
A seed has to let go of its old form to grow. Yield your ambitions and plans to Him.
Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.
When you abide in Christ (John 15:5), you bear much fruit.
2. Die to Self:
Before growth, there must be a breaking, a death to pride, sin, and self-centeredness.
Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
3. Be Planted in God’s Purpose:
A seed grows only when it’s placed in the right soil. Stay rooted in prayer, Scripture, and fellowship. Psalm 92:13 says, “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish.”
4. Endure the Hidden Season:
Growth begins in the dark. Others might not see it, but God is working. Isaiah 45:3 promises, “I will give you treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places.” So don’t quit in silence, trust that the transformation is happening underground.
The Harvest: Your Season of Overflow
Here’s the truth you need to know, harvest is never a surprise; it’s a result.
When you’ve sown faithfully and waited patiently, God multiplies what was planted. And when your harvest comes, it breaks limits. It overflows. It silences your enemies.
It always surprises the sower, because it’s always greater than the seed.
So, prepare for an increase. Make room. Stretch your faith. Your harvest is coming!
Say this prayer:
Lord, I offer myself to You as a seed. Open the gate of my harvest. Use me for Your glory and let my life bear fruit that remains, in Jesus name. Amen.
