Mark 4:30-32 NIV
‘Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.””
Mark 4:30-32 NIV
Small things can become significant things in the hands of God. Don’t judge what God is doing by how it starts, but judge it by how it ends. Some things have hidden potential that you cannot see until later. Those brief encounters may be big moments. Those small prayers may result in mighty movements of God. That little word of encouragement may be life or death for someone.
The parable of the mustard seed teaches us about how the Kingdom of God spreads from one person to another, one generation to another, one nation to another. The parable of the mustard seed is about the advancement of God’s kingdom and how God uses what seems like little things to accomplish big things.
Jesus message today is about power and grace. The Kingdom appears small in the face of the world's political and military powers. However, the Kingdom we see is only a seed, not a fully mature shelter. But the Kingdom is growing and will be large enough to furnish safety and security for those who live in its branches.
Don't be afraid, dear Kingdom seeker, the God who propels the mustard seed to great growth is at work in His Kingdom to do far greater things than we can ask or imagine. So find your shelter in His Kingdom. All others will pass away, but this one will endure forever.
At times our lives can be so challenging, we falter. We can get sucked in by others behaviors and we lose our direction. Sometimes we can be swayed by the opinions and ideas of others, agreeing in conversation to ideas that really do not reflect our Christian beliefs. And then we hear that inner thought that we messed up. We send up a flash prayer to God and ask Him to forgive us. That should be enough to let go and let God take us back, but we worry. Is that enough?
Life has a way of pulling us away from God. But faith, even the size of a mustard seed, is all it takes to return to God. Those inner whispers that remind us of God’s law, of God’s grace and forgiveness, call us back. We reaffirm our faith, we accept God’s forgiveness, and our faith grows a bit more.
We come to God by faith and as we gaze into His Word and spend time alone with Him, God will start to open up new and exciting qualities of His Person and Plans that were initially hidden from our understanding.
When we are prepared to admit our own lack of understanding both of ourselves and of Him and when we seek to spend quality time alone in His presence, He will start to unveil truths in His Word that have laid hidden to our understanding.
Let us spend time with the Lord, in His Word, increasing and deepening our understanding of Jesus "in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." You and I have had those seeds planted deeply into the loam of our lives. The harvest comes when we plant them in others.
When we allow God’s word to grow in our lives we can be a blessing and a place of rest and safety to those around us. A mustard seed of faith can move mountains but the day to day cares of life can cancel the effects. Today live by the words of a man in the Bible, “Lord, I believe. Help thou, my unbelief”. Keep focused on God’s ability and not your inability. Be blessed and grow!!!
Father thank You for this day and the seed of Your Word that gives us life. Lord let Your abundant blessings pour out of the storehouses of heaven upon my friend and family today. Lord too long we have relied on our own understanding and only viewed Your Word as a good but superficial picture-book, but we desire to gaze deeply into Your Word, drinking in all the truths and precious promises within. Lord guide is in Your truth and teach us. Lord Your eyes are on the sparrows, the smallest and most intimate details and corners of our lives, save us from discouragement and short sightedness as we live as Your seed planting people. Lord use my friend and I to plant Your seeds in others today. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya!
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