This is the first devotional for the week of March 26 to March 29.
Glory to the Grower
Read: Mark 4:26–29 |
Mark 4:26-29 New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:7
One day, I noticed an unexpected splash of yellow to the right of
our driveway. Six stalks of daffodils, sandwiched between two large
stones, bloomed bright and tall. Because I hadn’t planted, fertilized,
or intentionally watered the bulbs, I couldn’t figure out how or why the
flowers had sprouted in our yard.
Jesus illustrated a mystery of spiritual growth in the parable of the growing seed. He compares the kingdom of God to a farmer scattering seed on the ground (Mark 4:26). The one who scattered the seed may have done what he could to care for the soil. But Jesus said the seed sprouted whether or not that man slept in, woke up, or even understood the growth process (vv. 27–28). The land owner benefited from the harvest (v. 29), though its development didn’t depend on what he did or his understanding of the workings beneath the surface of the soil.
The maturing of the seeds in Jesus’s parable, like the blooming of my daffodils, occurred in God’s time and because of God’s growing power. Whether we’re considering personal spiritual growth or God’s plan to expand the church until Jesus returns, the Lord’s mysterious ways aren’t dependent on our abilities or understanding of His works. Still, God invites us to know, serve, and praise the Grower, reaping the benefits of the spiritual maturity He cultivates in and through us.
Jesus illustrated a mystery of spiritual growth in the parable of the growing seed. He compares the kingdom of God to a farmer scattering seed on the ground (Mark 4:26). The one who scattered the seed may have done what he could to care for the soil. But Jesus said the seed sprouted whether or not that man slept in, woke up, or even understood the growth process (vv. 27–28). The land owner benefited from the harvest (v. 29), though its development didn’t depend on what he did or his understanding of the workings beneath the surface of the soil.
The maturing of the seeds in Jesus’s parable, like the blooming of my daffodils, occurred in God’s time and because of God’s growing power. Whether we’re considering personal spiritual growth or God’s plan to expand the church until Jesus returns, the Lord’s mysterious ways aren’t dependent on our abilities or understanding of His works. Still, God invites us to know, serve, and praise the Grower, reaping the benefits of the spiritual maturity He cultivates in and through us.
Lord, thank You for growing us spiritually and using us to serve Your people, as You grow Your kingdom. God deserves the glory for the growth of His people and His kingdom.
INSIGHT
Commenting on the parable found in today’s text, Simon Kistemaker says: “From the moment he has sown the seed the farmer must leave the sprouting, the growing, the pollinating, and the maturing to God. . . . The farmer cannot explain this growth and development. He is only a worker who at the proper time sows and reaps. God holds the secret of life. God is in control” (The Parables: Understanding the Stories Jesus Told).It isn’t that the farmer isn’t busy and simply relaxes during the growing of the wheat. He is busy weeding, mulching, and watering. But the growth is up to the Lord. We can work to encourage growth, do things that create an environment for growth and for plants to flourish, but ultimately the growth is something we see, not something we produce. The same is true in our spiritual life.
Take a moment to thank God for the growth you’ve seen in your life. How can you prepare the soil of your heart for continued growth in Christlikeness?
I LOVE THIS DEVOTION! With our parents, children, students, etc. it is so easy to get sucked up into "How can I convince them that Jesus is the way?". For a complete control freak like me, I have to remind myself pretty much every hour that I am not in control. It is one of the hardest things I do, letting go and letting God, as our school slogan went a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very encouraging passage for me because it is my nature to want to speed things along and I grow impatient when spiritual growth in myself or in others is not going according to my plan. I must be faithful and let GOD cause the seed to grow and mature. I must do my part to spread the seed but have no preconceived notions of how the seeds prosper or wither away.
ReplyDeleteGardening is on of my hobbies. It takes a tremendous amount of work to get things to grow well, especially where I live, with the deer and gophers! It is a good example of the Christian life. God provides the growth and creation in nature and we work with him to make his will become reality.
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