Seed

For about two years I had a packet of flower seeds in my shed and I wondered if I should sow them in pots or in the open ground. I wondered — and did nothing — until eventually I had to put them in the bin!

The farmer in Jesus' story was not like that. He sowed his seed and of course he got a crop. Jesus' stories are full of references to seeds and some of the other Bible writers mention them too in different ways. Jesus tells us that the seed that is sown is the Word of God, the Gospel (Luke 8:11). He also says that God's kingdom may sometimes seem as small as a little mustard seed, but it is growing and will grow far greater than anyone might imagine (Matthew 13:31). Nothing will stop the progress of God's kingdom. Jesus goes on to say that the people of the kingdom of God are 'good seed' or 'precious seed'. Christians are the harvest that God reaps!

Paul mentions that the work of the Gospel is like planting seed, and watering it, and then God makes it grow to be a blessing to many (I Corinthians 3:6). Paul saw himself as a farmer who sowed good spiritual seed among the people and so he looked for a good response which would support the servants of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:11).

The apostle Peter says that Christians are born again of the good seed of God's eternal word (1 Peter 1:23). So then good seed is precious and the good seed of the Gospel is most precious of all — it is God's abiding eternal truth. Are you God's good seed?

Prayer

Dear Lord, may the good seed of our Word grow in my life to produce a harvest of faithful service for you. Amen.