Mark 4:26 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."
Have you ever had a season where you cannot see God? Have you ever walked through a time in your life where you cannot see what He is doing and you are tempted by the discouraging question “where are you God?” Then this parable is for you. These four verses are for those who are walking through the valley of confusion. These four verses are for those who are enduring a season where there seems to be no light for your feet and your mind is filled with the nagging question: “what are you doing in my life, Lord?”
Jesus is teaching his disciples about the kingdom of God and work of the Holy Spirit in the invisible realm of time and space. There are two primary dynamics revealed in this passage that unveil the mystery of how God works in the earth and in our lives. The first principle is in regard to sowing. Jesus portrays God as a farmer who sows his seed into the soil of the earth. God sends forth the seed of his word into the earth of human hearts, and just as the natural seed falls on ground that is in varying degrees of readiness to receive it, so the seed of God’s word finds some hearts ready to receive fully and others that have not been properly prepared for the word of God to bring forth life.
In Isa 55:10-11Isaiah speaks of the word coming forth with purpose from God’s mouth and producing the life it was intended to produce. He says in a prophetic utterance “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” NIV In this image the word is now coming forth as water from heaven but the principle is the same as in the parable as Jesus. The word goes forth and is at work until God’s purpose is accomplished through it. He never speaks randomly or carelessly. He never speaks apart from fulfilling purpose! Therefore, if He has spoken, He is at work. If He has spoken there is kingdom purpose advancing whether we see it or not!
It is vital that we remember that God calls forth to all those who will listen. He searches for that heart that is responsive to His word and where He finds it the kingdom of God begins to grow! Where He finds it life begins to spring forth. Where He finds it change begins to be ushered in as God’s life begins to take root. The second principle revealed in this parable of Jesus is a revelation of the nature of this growth! The words of Jesus provide comfort for us during those times when we cannot see!
In Mark 4:27 Jesus says of the seed “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.” Night and day the life that God has sown through the power of His Word is at work, growing in the soil of human hearts. Have you ever had a dream that seemed to be significant to your life? Recognize the kingdom of God. Have you ever had an encounter with someone or some situation that seemed divinely orchestrated though you took no action to initiate it? Behold the kingdom of God advancing. Have you ever found your heart changing towards a situation? Perhaps you felt strongly against something and then seemingly overnight your view of that issue has changed for the better and you are not sure how or why. God is at work! Night and day the seed of God’s work is growing though we do not know how!
It is time to enter into rest! It is time to open your heart in full confidence before God and declare to Him, “Let your word have its way in me! Let your kingdom come and your will be done in me!” Offer God your heart as fertile ground and rest in the knowledge that He is working whether you can see it or not. I remember having a dream where I was golfing and was certain that I must have hit the ball poorly because I lost sight of it. I was searching around for my ball, looking off in the rough and the out of bounds areas, certain that my last shot had been in error. While searching I happened to glance over by the hole and right next to the flag there was my ball sitting perfectly on the green! In this simple little dream God was affirming to me the reality that I was a lot closer than I felt. He was saying it was you who lost sight of the ball, but the ball was perfectly on track and you are reaching the goal that you have been aiming for even though you do not know how and cannot see how you got there! Rest in God today and know that He is watching over you to perform His work and His word will not return to Him without accomplishing its desired purpose!
No comments:
Post a Comment