More Seeds

May 31

Read: Mark 4:26-29

More Seeds

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” - Jesus

So what is the Kingdom of God like? When we realize that it is the Kingdom of God that we have been revealed the secrets of and that it is the Kingdom of God that is actually the very gospel of Jesus… this begs the question what is the Kingdom of God like? (cf. Mark 4:11, Mark 1:14,15)

The Kingdom of God grows mysteriously - “he knows not how.” :

There is a part of us that wants to know how the Kingdom grows… how it is all going to pan out … what exactly God is doing and why. I do not think it is wrong to wonder these things, but one of the first things we must grasp about the Kingdom of God is that it grows mysteriously… in a way that we “do not know how”. There is a humility to embracing this. There is also a sort of excitement that comes with this truth. We do not know the ways that God is growing his Kingdom both in the world and also IN US! Whatever “seeds” have been planted in you… secrets revealed to you… they will “sprout” over time. That is the sort of place that the Kingdom of God is.

The Kingdom of God grows with intention… there is an order - “first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” :

Watching something grow requires so much patience. There is great effort involved in the care of plants, gardens, crops, and fields. I am sure most gardeners or farmers would love for the finished product to simply sprout right up… ready for harvest. This is simply not how God has designed the Kingdom of God. There is a process to the growth of the Kingdom and those things within it. It starts small… with a little green shoot coming through the soil… and then it ends with a “full grain in the ear.” God is working out a process in you just as he is in the Kingdom itself; within our lives we will experience “first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” We must be patient. We must trust this process…”night and day”… paying attention to the small details… the “tiny shoots” of the Kingdom of God around us.

The Kingdom of God will reach its goal - “the harvest has come.” :

Make no mistake about, there is a coming “harvest”. God will gather to himself all those whom he has called… whom he has “planted” in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the sort of place where there will one day be a great harvest after a mysterious process of work and growth. You too will reap a harvest of the work that God has done in you and through you.

The Kingdom of God is being watched closely by someone, and that someone is God :

God is watching closely the growth of his Kingdom. He has not forgotten it nor has he left it. Day after day, God labors over his Kingdom and is working it towards the goal of the “harvest” The same is true of your life… it is not left to “grow” unattended to… not at all. The Kingdom is growing under the watchful eye of the one who planted it!

The Kingdom is present in our daily routines - “He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows.”:

Day after day - we “sleep and rise” - and the Kingdom of God is growing … moving forward. We need only walk out of our proverbial home and look at the soil. The everyday rhythm of life is baked into this parable. Each and everyday the Kingdom grows. It is “growing” and “working itself out” even when we are asleep. The Kingdom is not a place of in-action… it is not a place of “laziness” at all… yet, we are humbled to learn that it grows without us… even as we sleep! lol.

So today, look for the “green shoots” of the Kingdom of God breaking through the soil. Trust that even though you don’t understand HOW, the Kingdom of God is still growing. Believe in the process that leads to the full harvest; “first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” The Kingdom of God is the sort of place where you will be made “full”… made whole. Know that God is watching his Kingdom closely, and you are in his Kingdom… so he cares for you and knows you! May we rest in these truths. May we look forward to the “harvest” and feast that follows… remember that harvested grain is for food… for feasting… for celebration! Love you guys. - JDP