A Kingdom in a Seed

On August 2, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 4: 30 – 32

And He said, “How shall we picture the Kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.”

Jesus was trying to illustrate the Kingdom of God for us. He compared the Kingdom of God to a seed, and not just any seed, but the smallest of all seeds. He tells us, though, that once this seed is sown, it yields the greatest harvest of any seed of the garden. The mustard plant not only yields a food crop, as do the other garden plants, but it also provides shelter and protection for the birds. God is telling us that we need sow only a small seed in order to reap a large harvest, a harvest which will provide our food as well as our protection and shelter. Everything we need is contained in that small seed. Operating in the Kingdom of God is easier and more fruitful than operating in the world. The world is like the rest of the garden where you labor and yet reap a smaller crop. The Kingdom of God operates in faith and efficiency. You can sow smaller seeds and yet gain all that you need.

As you meditate on this scripture, you will find more and more depth in it. Read it then think about it then re-read it. Remember, this is Jesus trying to demonstrate the Kingdom of God to us so it is probably in our interest to glean all of the understanding from this that we can.

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Force for Good

On April 15, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 10: 24

Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

That is a new thought but worth pondering. How do we encourage others so that their lives become expressions of love and good deeds or goodness? We are meant to be inspirational. Isn’t that something? Our lives are not only about us. They are about the impact we have on others and the effect that impact creates in them for yet other people. But to call it by another name, we are forces for good. We purposefully do good to others and stimulate them to do good to still others. And while I haven’t thought about it exactly in these terms before isn’t this still the story of a seed? 

Jesus asked, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?” (Mark 4: 30). He answered the question by telling the story of the mustard seed. So the kingdom of God is like a seed. This is one of the largest, most profound and yet overlooked messages in the Bible. Let me repeat it, the kingdom of God is like a seed. So, if we wish to participate in the kingdom, then we all must become farmers. If you are not sowing seed then you are not taking part in the kingdom of God. We sow into other people’s lives. That is the first step to stimulating others into acts of love and kindness. But the message of this scripture isn’t necessarily about what we can do to inspire others but rather that we should give consideration to how we may stimulate others. In other words, this is supposed to be a subject of thought and prayer. This would be a good question to put before the Lord so that we can find out his thoughts.

One might also see in here a domino effect. If we do good unto others and motivate them to love and good deeds then it seems reasonable that they will inspire others, and on and on. One seed produces a whole plant which might represent all of the people in your life. The fruit of the plant has many, many seeds within it. So each of the people in your life has an abundant opportunity to sow seeds themselves which ultimately leads to many seeds of love and good deeds being cast abroad. From one seed, a seed as small as a mustard seed comes many thousands of acts of love and goodness. Ponder, consider how we might encourage each other to love and good deeds. Perhaps share your good ideas on our blogsite. If we share a little and encourage a little maybe very soon we can cover the area in a garden like Eden.

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