Secrets of the Secret Place Chapter 6: The Secret of Sowing

Sorge believes that what stops most Christians from their proverbial “walk with the Lord” is their fear that God is not speaking to them. We’re impatient, and we’re shocked (shocked!) when nothing immediately happens. This is why Sorge references Galatians 6:7-9 at the start of this chapter.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

In your secret place as in life there is a sowing and a reaping. According to Merriam-Webster, to sow is “to plant seeds in an area of ground” and to reap is “to get (something, such as a reward) as a result of something that you have done”. What you do now results in what happens later. In Sorge’s words, “When you sow to the Spirit by giving dedicated time to the secret place, you will eventually reap life in the Spirit”.

And if you don’t sow, then you can’t reap. Sorge writes “What we sow today will require an entire season of growth before the results are manifest”. I’m so sorry to everyone who like me loathes Christianese, but it is a “season (I’m cringing) of growth”. Seasons are long, so we need to prepare for them.

As I was preparing my outline for this post, I remembered a scene from Facing the Giants, one of the very few Christian movies I’m not ashamed to say I really like. (The others are Fireproof and Passion of the Christ.) The high school football team has a losing streak, morale is low. The coach, on the verge of getting fired, has been praying God to come in work a miracle. And since it’s a Christian movie a pastor enters the scene and tells the coach a parable:

There were two farmers who desperately needed rain, and both of them prayed for rain. But only one of them went out and prepared his fields to receive it. Which one do you think trusted God to send the rain? (This parable is not in the Bible.)

It’s one thing to beg for God to do something for you. But if you don’t act with confidence in response that God has heard your prayer and will do something about it, why should God do anything? The coach was serious about rebuilding his team’s faith and trust in the Lord. Before practice, they prayed for strength and endurance. After practice they prayed they would act like followers of Jesus, sons of God in front of their friends and parents. They struggled physically, academically, spiritually. Yet the team prepared for rain. They were ready for God to move. That is how they won the state championship.

Sorge writes at the end of Chapter 6, the secret of sowing is “He who sows will most assuredly reap!” Therefore, when you go to your secret place ask God to show you what has caused you to lose your faith in His actions. And ask Him to remove those barriers that you may draw near to Him. The first step in believing God will do all this, is to believe He will do this.

Author | Sam Darby