A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows. (Mark 4:26–27)
My family moved into a cozy little house on a cul-de-sac a while back. We intend to create a lovely landscape design and fill our front corner with colorful floral beauty, offering an inviting scene for our neighbors, but our plans are on a continual postponement because of budget constraints. My husband, a lover of beautiful flowers, sighs each fall and spring as the project gets pushed back yet again.
We really should just rely on the flowering redbud tree in our yard, directly behind that front corner. Amid the weeds and towering rock formation, numerous redbud starts have sprouted on their own, carried by the wind to their sowing home. One has grown so tall and strong that it’s been impossible to uproot. As for the others, our young son has decided to sell them because they have overtaken that corner. The birds at our front birdfeeder have also been busy scattering sunflower seeds near our sidewalk and porch. These summer beauties have sprouted and grown tall, without effort on our part.
The kingdom of God is like these multiplying plants. The farmer scatters seed; he sleeps and gets up, goes about his day, and watches in amazement as that seed does what seeds do best: sprout and grow, producing a harvest of grain. Whether we understand the process or simply enjoy the mystery, let’s see his kingdom harvest come.
Ask the Lord of the harvest to scatter his kingdom seed through you.
Jamie Hilty is a Wesleyan pastor’s kid. She currently serves with her pastor-husband in Goshen, Indiana, and has served as a contributing writer for Annesley Writer’s Forum.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.