And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26-29 NKJV
Sometimes life feels like one big, unexpected event after another. A lot of what happens is random, and it’s a long-term result of Adam’s fall. Christians often make it about God: “Everything happens for a reason,” meaning that God has either allowed or ordained this difficulty to bring about some mysterious greater good. God does do things without my permission or knowledge, but instead of complaining about it, maybe I should take a look at things I can control. I often think about how much of life is the result of what I or my ancestors have planted.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of God works on the principle of seed plant and harvest. Paul said it this way, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). I recently heard a friend of mine preaching along these lines. He said something that really blessed me: “If you don’t like what you’re getting, change what you’re giving.” Good advice.
On this beautiful Sunday morning, let’s think about what we can give and where we can give it. There are lots of seeds we can plant. Here are some that the Bible specifically mentions:
- Money: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 / Proverbs 11:24-25
- Good works and acts of kindness: Galatians 9-10 / Hebrews 13:16
- Mercy and forgiveness: 6:35-38 / James 2:13
- The Word: Mark 4:14
- Prayer: James 5:16
Today will be full of opportunities to sow. A better harvest starts now!
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