Jesus once said, “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” (Matthew 24:27-28). He used this imagery to make a point about His return: it will be unmistakable, just as vultures unmistakably know to gather where there is a carcass, and just as lightning unmistakably flashes from east to west.
An important truth stands out in this imagery: Jesus expects us to see it as describing laws that cannot be violated. And just as these laws cannot be violated, neither can His words about His coming fail to happen. This points to certain vital, practical truths that are repeated throughout Scripture. The better we understand and apply them, the better our lives will become. The imagery of vultures, carcasses, and lightning firmly communicates a reality: there are certainties and sureties in life. Life is not random. Specific events yield specific results, and you will reap what you sow because life is not random. God Himself ensures this; it is the order He has built into life.
In Genesis, He said, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease” (Genesis 8:22). Paul repeats this truth, showing that it is not merely an agricultural principle but the order of life: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Jesus said it another way: “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush” (Luke 6:43-44). Here, the truth is spelled out again: specific conditions produce specific results. Jesus emphasized this once more: “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:32-33). Just as you can tell that summer is near by observing a tree, you should be able to tell the outcome of your life by the conditions you have created around you.
How to Benefit from This Truth
So how do we benefit from this knowledge? Here is wisdom: find what actions or events lead to certain results, and do those things. You will get the same results, for every seed produces after its own kind (see Genesis 1:11). Life is not random, and it is not always a mystery. It is largely predictable. You can design your own life by intentionally sowing the seeds you want daily, and in due time you shall reap what you have sown (see Galatians 6:9). Even the belief that your good actions won’t yield good results is itself a seed that produces that harvest, just as the Word did not profit those who heard it because they did not mix it with faith (cf. Hebrews 4:2).
Therefore, always sow in faith by hearing and believing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Then act on that faith by obeying what the Word says, and fully expect the result (James 2:17, 26; James 1:6-8). You will reap what you sow. Make it your goal in life to always find out what God says to do in order to achieve the results He specifies (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:14; Leviticus 26:3-13, Matthew 6:33) and commit yourself to doing it diligently. God cannot lie, and His promises are yes and amen. If you sow the seeds He instructs you to sow, walking in obedience to Him, you will surely receive the harvest He has promised, and inherit His blessings in every aspect of your life.
This is the key to true success in life, the same key expressed in Joshua 1:8: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
September 9, 2026