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Sowing and Reaping [Annotated, Updated]: Whatever a man sows that shall he also reap. – Galatians 6:7

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Do not deceive yourselves; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows in the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

We can't get away from the principle of reaping what we sow. If we sow good seed, we anticipate a great harvest. But if we sow weeds, we'll harvest no more than we sowed. The same is true spiritually and practically. If we want a reward in heaven, we must live for Christ. On the other hand, if we lie, cheat, swear, steal, get drunk, use drugs, or otherwise fulfill the lusts of the flesh, the reality is we'll pay the consequences both now and in eternity. No matter how much society tries to convince us otherwise, this law has proven to be true without fail.

This is the bright truth held before us in this little book – if we sow good seed, we will reap a great harvest. While sowing and caring for the seed sown isn't without work, the promise of a great harvest is what keeps us going and what brings joy to our labors. Be assured that it is not in vain to spend much time pruning, weeding, and carefully watching over the garden of your heart and the hearts of those you love.

About the Author
Dwight L. Moody, determined to make a fortune, arrived in Chicago and started selling shoes. But Christ found him and his energies were redirected into full-time ministry. And what a ministry it was. Today, Moody's name still graces a church, a mission, a college, and more. Moody loved God and men, and the power of a love like that impacts generations.

91 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1896

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About the author

Dwight L. Moody

700 books220 followers
Dwight Lyman Moody was a predominant evangelist, author, and publisher. Raised on a farm in Massachusetts, he moved first to Boston, where he converted to evangelical Christianity in 1856, and then to Chicago, where he prospered in business. He gave up business in 1860 and engaged in missionary work with the YMCA (1861-73).

He founded Moody Church and preached in the slums, emphasizing literal interpretation of the Bible and the need to prepare for the Second Coming. In 1870 he teamed up with the hymn writer Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908), and they began a series of highly popular revival tours in Britain and the U.S. Moody founded the Northfield School (1879), the Mount Hermon School (1881), and the Chicago Bible Institute (1889; now the Moody Bible Institute).

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5 stars
132 (61%)
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55 (25%)
3 stars
22 (10%)
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4 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Michael K..
Author 1 book17 followers
July 17, 2025
An excellent book to read or listen to! I find the messages from many of the older generation truly give the message of sinfulness in our lives, as opposed to the newer generation of preachers. Everyone seems to be sugarcoating the sin of man in order to get more people in to the seats of the church. The problem is not necessarily building the church numbers, but rather building up the kingdom of God! The title truly says it all, "Sowing & Reaping" the basis from the Book of Galatians. We will reap that which we sow! If we sow goodness and love, in the end that is what we will reap. If we sow greediness and sinfulness, in the end we will reap the benefits of the eternal fire!
Profile Image for Yibbie.
1,394 reviews53 followers
August 3, 2024
It’s easy to think that people get away with sin in this life, certainly the ‘little’ ones at least. But God’s word assures us otherwise. Every action has its consequences for us and those around us. A lifetime devoted to seeking righteousness by God’s path and laws leads to a godly life and eternal rewards. A lifetime devoted to seeking our pleasure and running from God leads to debauchery and eternal damnation. We may not see those consequences in other’s lives, but we will in our own. This book focuses mostly on the immediate ones, but it also teaches us about the eternal ones as well. It also includes the most important consequence as well. Will you spend eternity in Heaven or Hell? Will you accept Christ’s bearing the punishment for your sins? Will you accept His forgiveness for your sin? Or will you bear all the consequences yourself in Hell for eternity?
His focus on the merging of Eternity and Life in the Biblical teaching of punishment and reward is very refreshing. You may not see the rewards for righteous living now, but God is faithful to remember them. It is a very clear rebuttal of the “health and wealth” gospel that is so prominent in the church right now.
On a side note, one of his illustrations is the reaping of chaos and death in France from the abandonment of Christian teaching. What would he say about current events? It did remind me that this world may not see the Spiritual battle behind their actions, but we believers ought to and be willing to speak up and warn them of God’s immutable holiness and power.
I can’t recommend it enough. Go ahead, read it.
Profile Image for F.
1,168 reviews9 followers
June 21, 2022
Another great book by Moody [though slightly hampered by a change of Bible version from the original thus making some of his points less clear as words he refers to are not the same as the verses given]. Still - highly recommended.
Profile Image for Robin Morgan.
Author 5 books287 followers
September 8, 2019
Sowing and reaping is an important conceptual message the Lord wants all of children to understand, believe in and follow, if they desire to have a pathway which will ultimately lead them into His divine kingdom.

The author, Dwight Moody, in his description for the book writes that we can’t get away from the principle of reaping what we sow, referencing GALATIANS 6:7. Regardless of your level of faith, if you read the bible from the beginning to the end, you’ll find this concept popping up time and time again with different words and a somewhat different messages, which when you get to the heart of the all messages, they are in essence saying the same thing.

And if you have any doubt in what I’m saying here, just look at:

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 [New KJV]
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

PROVERBS 11:24 [New KJV]
“There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.”

PROVERBS 28:27 [New KJV]
“He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.”

And of course, there’s the classic MATTHEW 7:12 [New KJV]
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

In communicating the message of this book, the author doesn’t just rely of scriptural verses, he also interjects secular/historical analogies. In end, this reviewer of Christian books is giving this book 5 STARS.

I obtained a free KINDLE download of this book through a recent FaceBook posting and the above has been my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Mariella.
83 reviews2 followers
February 7, 2016
"A man expects to reap when he sows; he expects to reap the same kind of seed that he sows; he expects to reap more; and ignorance of the kind of seed makes no difference."

We are constantly on the cycle of sowing and reaping, and we will definitely reap the fruits that we sowed someday. If we sow to the flesh, we will reap the consequences. If we sow to the spiritual things, we will reap spiritual rewards. We cannot expect to harvest good fruits if we sow to our self-seeking desires. Likewise, we cannot expect worldly prosperity and reward when we sow to the spiritual habits. We must choose and decide what kind of fruits we hope to reap. Do we yearn for the world or heaven? We must choose one over the other, as we cannot serve both masters at the same time.

“Sow a thought and reap an act. Sow an act, and reap a habit. Sow a habit, and reap a character. Sow a character and reap a destiny.” And it takes a longer time to reap than to sow.

This book is an eye opener on the law of sowing and reaping! D.L. Moody expounded the biblical rule of sowing and reaping with great logic and clarity, and compassionately urged his readers to sow the right seeds for the sake of their own eternity. Highly recommended for all!
36 reviews2 followers
April 30, 2015
So simple, so profound

Every Christian should read this book as a reminder of the importance of sowing and reaping. We get so busy in our lives that we tend to forget that we are sowing seeds everyday and will reap a harvest. Moody is very clear; you reap after the kind you sowed, good
Profile Image for Honeybee.
401 reviews15 followers
March 31, 2023
Very stern

When I got this book, I was hoping it would talk about the benefits of sowing into the kingdom of God and the benefits of investing one’s time, talents and treasure in spiritual things. Instead, I found eight chapters focused primarily on the consequences of wasting one’s self and resources on human desires.

There was little hope of divine intervention or erasure of the consequences of one’s former life, which God may give to the person who humbly submits to Him. And the reader is not directed to rely upon the Holy Spirit to help him or her live a life that leads to a good harvest.

Moody seems to put it all on us, like any other works-oriented religion. It was a discouraging read, quite stern and condemning in its tone. I don’t recommend it.
Profile Image for Karla Renee Goforth Abreu.
664 reviews8 followers
May 1, 2023
I gave this a three because of the sincere plea for people to turn to God and leave any sinful practices behind. This book is NOT about financial Christian practices. Most people would think, due to the title, that it concerns stewardship principles. Rather, the message of the book is about one's actions. If you sow to the flesh you reap to the flesh and if you sow to the spirit you reap to the spirit. (Galatians 6:7,9) Moody uses a Scripture, explains a small bit and then writes of stories to exemplify the principle. It is not a deep book but it is a genuine plea to righteous living.
21 reviews
March 16, 2020
Another excellent classic by D L Moody

Every book written by D L Moody is a classic. This is my third read of his; love the way he explains the truth of God's Word. Since these books were all written in the nineteenth century there are many stories of historical events that he uses it get his point across. These book emphasizes the fact that the Word of God is the same yesterday, today, and always; God's Word never changes.
Profile Image for Nderitu  Pius .
216 reviews15 followers
August 26, 2021
The book itself should remind you of the power of this law. It is a principle that follows every man. Have you been sowing right? If not there is hope or you but remember about scars and don't reap willingly into sin saying GOD can reverse the effects.
There is so much wisdom in this book and whether you are Christian or not, you must understand, the LORD'S work will eventually follow up on you.
"For the mill of GOD runs slow but it grinds sure." - D. L. Moody.
Profile Image for Debby.
469 reviews24 followers
September 5, 2020
Incredible book! DL Moody shares stories as examples of each type of sowing and reaping, whether it be good or bad. You can sow emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally, relationally. Truly eye opening. There were some examples of generational sowing and reaping as well.

Truly this is a good read for anyone as the priniciples apply universally.
Profile Image for Christopher Derrell.
28 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2021
This book was exceptional. The standout to me was the way the natural law God has set up in agriculture plays through every part of all lives, both for believers and non-believers in Christ. But, with the point that you would want to reap good crop, and that comes through Christ. Solid writing style through analogies, solid message.
Profile Image for Katherine.
52 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2020
Interesting.

Learned alot about the concept of sowing and reaping. Everyone hears of it but rarely understand the words. It puts those words into perspective for those of us who need straightening out.
15 reviews
April 26, 2021
Powerful

Moody’s illustrations make the pages come alive. His wisdom is impactful; you know you’re listening to one who was there, in the mix, being used mightily by God. A great read.
3 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2024
Truly makes you consider all of your actions. The Good Lord can forgive us of any action but at times He lets us suffer the consequences of our actions. This book inspires us to be more thoughtful of what we do, especially around our children.
Profile Image for Esther Dan.
1,013 reviews19 followers
February 7, 2024
An Important Classic

A personable book that inspires your hope & ignites your faith to choose God’s way of living. We do have to pay or reap the consequences of all our actions but gratefully we serve a merciful God that does not damn us to hell without us choosing.
Profile Image for Lady Safari.
278 reviews5 followers
April 6, 2020
A simple topic with serious depth

Obviously I have read about sowing and reaping in the Bible. This book take a harder and deeper look at this topic.
1 review
June 10, 2020
Great display of Bible teachings and its continued relevance in modern day life
Profile Image for Brenda Klinger.
8 reviews
January 1, 2021
Dwight L Moody

I love D.L. Moody. Such a good speaker. He has started great things in his day. He is a well known author.
Profile Image for Dunstan Ayodele.
Author 1 book4 followers
March 2, 2022
The illustrations in this book will challenge you to reflect on what is dictating the outcomes you are getting in your life – what are you sowing?
Profile Image for Don.
4 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2023
life Changing

This book raised a warning sign in me. We often think we have so much time left in our lives, but truthfully nobody knows
8 reviews
February 21, 2021
The part I’m especially fond of is when Moody talks about parents and how they should teach their children religion. No matter your beliefs, you as a parent have the authority to teach your children; lest someone else teach them and they fall away from the path you want them to follow. They may fall away anyway, but at least you can be confident that you instilled in them something that the Lord can use to bring them back.

Also, another thing that stood out to me is when he talks about David’s story with Bathsheba. Sin has its own consequences. If you look at it this way, it isn’t necessarily that God is angry at you, but that God set the laws of nature in place that if you sin (even if you repent like David did), you still are going to have scars and regrets from that experience. For those of you reading this that know her, an example of this in today's world would be Abby Johnson and really, anyone who has worked in the abortion industry or had an abortion. It isn’t that God hasn’t forgiven them, but that the law of sowing and reaping has taken effect. Those that repented have been forgiven by the Lord and healed of the trauma, but the pain is still there in the form of a scar.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
122 reviews
January 20, 2020
Sowing and Reaping by Dwight L. Moody

Great read! As I said before I recommend that every people, every nation, every language, and every tongue should read this awesome book on sowing and reaping.
Profile Image for Nahte.
78 reviews14 followers
December 14, 2019
A man ought to and does bear the consequences of his actions. Jesus Christ, God made man, showed this perfectly by saving those Whom He created—in obedience to the Father perfectly, under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I didn't think I'd one day read a book on choices and consequences written centuries ago that is more relevant today than ever. Such books are needed in this time and age. I thank God for D. L. Moody.

A man must die in order to live eternally with Christ.

Thank You Jesus.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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