Know that payday is coming and when God pays, oh baby, he pays big. Our God is not a cheap God. My God is not on a budget. Payday is coming, and payday is going to be big.
"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Gen. 8:22).

"While the earth remaineth...." We know that the earth remaineth now. So then we know that seedtime and harvest remaineth.

Let's say I plant a seed. Some time must pass after I plant the seed before I get my harvest. Therefore, if I want a harvest, I must give it time. When you plant a seed, and that seed is given time, your harvest will come!

And he (Jesus) said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come"
(Mark 4:26-29).

I want you to think about a job. Let's say this job pays 500 dollars every two weeks. Now let's say I am hired for this job, and I know in two weeks I'm going to get a paycheck for $500.

I go to work on the first day - I'm real excited, but then a couple of days later, the newness kind of wears off. What would happen if I quit on the fourth day? I still get paid, but my pay would be cut. Instead of $500, I might get $30, $40, or $50. That's not payday. By the time the government gets through with that, I won't have enough to buy a candy bar.

That's how a lot of Christians are about seedtime and harvest. When you plant the seed, you're shouting the victory, expecting something. But as soon as the time sets in, we give up. Well, I want to tell you this today, if you are in a seedtime right now, don't give up, because your payday is coming.

What can you do in that time when you are awaiting the manifestation? The time that you're waiting can either be joyous or it can be hellish. And the hellish one will make your time longer.

This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us]. [Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it - a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil
(Heb. 6:18-19, AMP).

Now, basically all that says is that God cannot lie. If He said it in His Word, you can count on it. So that means that if I obey God and plant the seed and give it some time, my payday is coming. That is your security. The one thing in life you can count on that will never let you down is God.

Things Not To Do In Seedtime
"And he (Jesus) said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how" (Mark 4:26).

Now, notice, the seed was planted, it was given time, and the harvest came. But notice what it says - "he knoweth not how." How what? How it happened.

#1 - Don't try to figure it out.
A lot of people dig up their seed. They plant the seed and 20 minutes later, it's still a seed. "Oh, let me check again." See, you're digging up your seed.

If you're in a natural garden and you plant a seed, you water it and you give it time, because you want a flower. If you are standing over that flower, you're blocking the sunlight and it can't grow.

A lot of people are like that with their seed. They're forever standing over it, trying to figure out, how is this going to happen? I really don't understand how this is going to happen. Notice he said, don't try and figure it out. Just plant the seed, and give it time.

See, the harvest is God's business. Payday is God's business. Once I go to work and give my boss what he requires of me, the check isn't my business. It's his business. I don't care where he gets the money, because I did my part. So when you plant the seed, who cares how the harvest comes? Who cares how payday comes? As long as it comes.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Eph. 3:20).

God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. So, even if I was standing over my seed, and I think I figured out how I want it to grow, how I want my harvest to come, and even if it's a good plan in my mind, if I get what I thought I should get, I would have gotten gypped, because God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I can ask or think.

The minute you start trying to figure things out and wishing that you get exactly what you think, you take yourself out of overflow. I like surprises. I'm expecting good, but I love it when God surprises with that overflow. Don't try and figure it out. Just plant the seed and give it time and wait for your payday.

#2 - Do not despise small beginnings.
"His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things..." (Matt. 25:23).

Notice before Jesus gave him many things he had to be faithful over a few things. See, the kingdom of God is like an escalator. You're always going up. So stop worrying. Don't get distracted on where you're starting, because if I just hook up with God, I know I'm going up. It doesn't matter where I start, I'm always going up. Do not despise small beginnings.

#3 - Do not get weary or waver.
"But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing" (2 Thess. 3:13).

"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord" (James 1:6-7).

It says, be not weary in well doing because payday is coming. See, as long as I stick with God and do what God says, and not waver, then I know that payday is coming. I don't ever have to wonder, am I going to get paid or not? See, now you're wavering. Now you're hindering your payday.

#4 - Don't get scared and emotional.
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2).

Now, what's above? The source of my payday.

It's very easy to get emotional when you're in a seedtime. Emotions are not just crying. Emotions could be anger. Anybody ever been in a pity party?

Let me show you an example of this in the Bible:

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me (Matt. 14:26-30).

Now, this is just like the devil. How many of you ever been believing God for healing, and it seemed like as soon as you put your faith out for healing it got worse?

I want you to notice that Peter was already in. He was at the beginning of his payday. He's in it, walking on water. He's already been obedient, he's already gotten the word of the Lord that's going to get him through, and he's walking. But then all of a sudden he began to fear, because he was looking at everything around him.

The Word of the Lord may come to you to sow a financial seed. You sow that seed. It's more than you expected to give, it's something you can feel, something that cost you something. But now you get an unexpected bill. If you get your eyes on the situation, you can get into fear. Get emotional - Lord, help me, help me, help me. All the while you were in your payday.

See, usually when that greatest attack on your manifestation comes when you're right there. It's the fourth quarter, so now Satan's got to pull out all the cheap shots. It was the same for Peter. He was walking on the water. Notice the next verse: "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand " (Matt. 14:31a).

Notice it didn't say that when Peter began to sink that Jesus ran over to him, dove in the water and grabbed his hand and saved him. Notice it said that He stretched out His hand. That means that Peter had to be right in front of Him. He had to be in arm's length. He was in arm's length of his payday, and that's why Satan was trying to stop him.

So don't get emotional, don't fear. When the devil is trying to throw stuff against you, remind yourself that he's trying to stop you because it's payday.

#5 - Don't get lazy or give up.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:14-16).

Don't get lazy. Hold fast. Let me show you another one.

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)" (Heb. 10:23).

See, when the going gets rough, the tough get going. When it gets hard, that's when you really buckle down. Why would you let Satan decide he's going to throw everything against you, and then you just give up? Whose payday is it? Is it yours or is it Satan's? It's my payday. Don't get lazy.

Let me show you one more thing. Turn to Psalm 23:4-6.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

Notice that it says, "I walk through the valley." Not crawl through the valley, not stop, drop and roll through the valley. Not sit down and cry in the valley. It says that I walk through the valley. In one way and out the other.

Even when you're going through the valley, never forget who's on the inside of you. See, it says, he anointed me from head to toe.

It says, "yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." It doesn't say the valley of death. A shadow has no substance. And the other thing about a shadow is that it cannot exist unless there is light present.

Know that payday is coming and when God pays, oh baby, he pays big. Our God is not a cheap God. My God is not on a budget. Payday is coming, and payday is going to be big. All I have to do is stay hooked up and I know payday is coming.

Keith Butler Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.