Seeds of the Kingdom - August 8, 2024

“And (Jesus) 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).

Written and sent out from the morning prayer time of Tommy Hays each day.

God bless you and may you have a great day!
—Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

http://messiah-ministries.org

Transcript

Morning by Morning, August 8 - Seeds of the Kingdom

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my spirit arise into communion with You--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--as my soul yields in mind, will, and emotions, along with my body, to wait and listen and follow Your leading (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 8:14). ...

As I wait for Your leading this morning, this Scripture comes to mind:

“And (Jesus) 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).

In many ways, we have no idea what You’re doing with the “seeds” You’ve sown through our lives. Here a seed of kindness, there a word of encouragement, a simple smile, a good laugh, a helping hand, a heart-felt prayer, a proclamation in the authority of Your name according to Your will--these are seeds of the kingdom You’re sowing in love and power in the hearts of people and even in the earth through our lives.

Sometimes we may get to see those seeds sprout up quickly in evidence of an immediate harvest. But it seems most of the time, we’re more like the farmer who sows the seeds and then patiently waits for the harvest to come, trusting in faith those seeds are growing to fulfill at that’s intended, even though hidden at the present.

Seed. Time. Harvest.  First the seed, then the time, then the harvest.

But from the planting until the harvest, from the sowing to the reaping, You are at work in all You have sown through us. And every seed of Your kingdom will grow through the process--little by little, set by step, day by day until one day the shoot springs up out of the ground for all to see. Then it continues to grow: “first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head” until the time “the harvest has come” (v. 28-29).

These seeds of Your kingdom are just like the word of Your will “that goes forth” and “shall not return to (You) void,” but “shall accomplish what (You) please” and “shall prosper in the thing for which (You) sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). These seeds are growing and working and accomplishing Your purposes, even when we don’t see it, even as we just have to trust in faith to believe it. But You do give us grace to believe it. You give us the grace to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Whether we get to see the full “harvest” of these seeds of the kingdom here on earth or one day from heaven, even right now You can give us the grace to see those seeds in harvest with eyes of faith from the perspective of heaven. Your part is to cause those seeds You have sown through us to grow up to maturity; our part is to sow as You lead and “only believe” (Mark 5:36). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.