Two-minute read.
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Matthew 13:31-32
What we plant determines what we grow. A mustard seed, small in stature, grows large with proper care and nutrition. Faith, planted with a decision to believe, grows huge as we take steps to follow Jesus, doing what He tells us to do: love, forgive, honor, cherish. What we put in the soil will grow, whether good or bad. If we plant seeds of hate, we will harvest hate. If we plant seeds of love, we will harvest love. We choose the fruit we produce from the seeds we plant.
As we end this month of harvest blessings, consider the seeds you plant in your heart. You control what you let into your being. If you spend more time watching the news than reading the Bible, seeds of hatred, bitterness, and resentment may take root. But if you plant seeds of scripture in your heart, you will produce a bountiful harvest of love and mercy. God’s word teaches love, forgiveness, and mercy. Faith in the Lord grows large when we spend time with Him daily.
When life’s pressures squeeze you, the Spirit of the Lord will spill out of you. Instead of reacting like the world, you will respond like Jesus because you planted seeds of faith in your heart. Each day, we plant more seeds; we determine the crop by what we plant. Spend time filling your soul with God’s word and enjoy bountiful harvests of peace as you become more like Jesus, dying to self, living for others.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for planting seeds of love in our hearts through Jesus. As we take steps of faith, let it grow bigger than we can imagine as we give ourselves to You. One day at a time, transform our lives and help us produce good fruit.
IJNIP. Amen
