09/13/2023
God never leads us by the ear into salvation. He never forces us to acknowledge Him against our will, or badgers us until we finally give in and begin our journey of faith. No, a tiny seed is planted within us and upon germination it becomes our responsibility to tend to it as God grows it. Or, we can simply let it lie unattended until it eventually withers away. What will our choice be?
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.”
1 Corinthians 3:6-9 ESV
The seed of faith is given us and if we are receptive to it then we will plant it and seek water for its germination, and when we do then God will bring the rain we seek. However, until we desire Him, His seed will not grow or flourish... it will be as if it were sown upon a stone. Listen to this parable and treat your seed of faith accordingly.
“"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."”
Luke 8:5-8 ESV
What occurred with the seed in this parable did so because of man... not God. If we plant our seed of faith poorly, or not at all, it will not grow to maturity. This isn't because God destroyed it, but by the true nature of the seed itself. This is our expectation in the nature of faith; by God's law. So as we begin to understand that we contain the seed of faith it becomes paramount that we carefully select what we will do with it.
When God was speaking to Israel in the Old Testament He spoke these words to them:
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.”
Hosea 10:12 ESV
How we sow, and what we do with the seeds once we have sown them is all important. The seeds of faith have already been given us and the Spirit allows us to understand that God and His Son Jesus Christ are all important in our lives. Without these things, the seed and the understanding, we are doomed to go through life believing we are alone and will be tossed about by the world. The discord, chaos, and evil that exists here will have its way with us, and then we will die. If however we have been saved by believing in Jesus and God, we have two choices regarding our seeds of faith. We can plant them carelessly and then abandon them, and receive the punishment of God as He wishes because we took what was His and then squandered or killed it, or we can tend them carefully and receive the amazing rewards of faith, righteousness, and a wonderful relationship with Him.
“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.”
2 Peter 2:20-21 ESV
If we plant carefully, as we should, then when spring comes our gardens and fields will be beautiful and green. The rains will come and everything will grow, and we will be given an amazing harvest. But then the seasons move on, and after the harvest the grapevine drops its leaves and goes dormant and the wheat fields become brown having shared its seed with us. But don’t be deceived, this isn't a time for mourning. This is the natural order of things. The fruit has been gathered by the master into His storehouse. It is a time of celebration and plenty in the Kingdom. God gathers us to Himself and prepares His seed for future generations and the coming years.
So we plant our faith carefully and Become laden with fruit, our boughs bending under the load and our tops swaying in the wind; heavy with grain. All of this from the tiny seed God has given and the care we have taken in its planting and cultivation. Then as we approach harvest we must be careful to instruct our children and loved ones in the nature of the seed they have been given, and the responsibility they now have in this... the springtime of their lives.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the seed of faith you entrusted me with. Thank you for the instruction of my spiritual mentors and the Holy Spirit's guidance as I am taught how best plant and tend your fields. Holy Father, I now offer you the bounty of the harvest and the sweetness of the honey that flows from it. Gather me to you Lord and call me child, friend, heir and joint heir in Jesus Christ. Help me in my days to prepare my children and grandchildren. Keep your hand upon me as I give them instruction in how to plant and cultivate their seeds of faith. Holy Spirit come to each of them and guide them through life and towards their harvest. Jesus watch over them, as you have me, and in your Gospel Word let them find you in your fullness. Love them as you have loved me. Cover their sins as you have mine. Lead them before the Father as you will one day lead me, and allow me to embrace them when we are reunited in the day of their glory. Praised be your name Father. Praised be your Son Jesus Christ. I give you all the praise and glory for the tiny seeds of faith you placed in my hand and the endless waves of fruit and grain that will grow from it... pleasing you, and filling your larders.
Rich Forbes