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."
(Mark 4:26-27 NKJV)
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:11 NKJV)
Whether the seed of a tomato or the seed of a man, the unassuming appearance of a seed belies the incomprehensible volume of information wrapped in its DNA. The humble seed holds the very miracle of life. It need only be planted in the right place to sprout and grow, seemingly unassisted, with uncanny precision, marvelously mysterious.
The seed of Jesus' parable is the Word of God. Like any seed, the Word's ability to produce new life defies explanation. Scientists' microscopic images of cell-reproduction make that process more understandable. Likewise, Bible expositors may trace the growth of spiritual life, but life itself is held in the Word.
Bibles are so familiar that even we who count them dear fail to behold them with awe each time we open them. Yet the unassuming seed of God's word carries potential reaching into eternity.
My Lord, how I love Your Word! It is more nourishing than bread, sweeter than honey, more precious than gold. It is Wisdom personified. It is the Water to wash me clean. It is the sharp Sword to defeat enemies of my soul. It is kisses from the Lover of my soul. Thank You for Your wonder-filled Word.
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Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy
Seeds are a wonderful metaphor for many things that are becoming what they truly are. An oak tree is *inside* an acorn, although not visible if you crack it open -- you have to let it grow. God's Words are like this -- He is *inside* the words, although only visible if you let them grow by meditating on them.
ReplyDeleteDo you think this life on Earth is like this -- we are seeds that will become our true selves in Heaven?
Amy, I like this imagery, and I'd love to see the metaphor developed. I'll think on that.
ReplyDeleteFor now, I prefer to think of each Christian as the soil in which God's seed is sown, sprouts, and produces new and visible life. Will the soil prove too rocky for the new shoot to gain deep roots so it does not wither? Will the weeds of the world be burned off so they do not choke the plant? Will the soil receive living Water to nourish a trunk to fruitfulness—thirty, sixty, hundred fold?
We are now only vessels in which the Seed of Life dwells through His Spirit. In heaven, we become one flesh with the Seed of Life as His bride. We must first become one with each another.
Your words are so beautiful.
ReplyDelete