Planting Good Seeds

 

William Jennings Bryan wrote of a visit he made to a restaurant in which he ordered a slice of watermelon. He writes, “I was so pleased with the taste of the melon that I took the seeds home with me to plant in my garden. That night a thought came to my mind. How many watermelon seeds would it take to make a pound? The next day I weighed them and found that it would take about 5,000 dried seeds to weigh one pound. A few weeks later I planted just one of the seeds. Under the influence of sunshine and shower, the little seed had taken off its coat and gone to work. It had gathered from somewhere two hundred thousand times its own weight, and forced the enormous weight through a tiny stem and built a watermelon. On the outside it had a covering of green and within a rind of white, and within that a core of red; and then it had scattered through the red many little black seeds each one capable of doing the same thing over again.” He continues, “What architect drew the plan? Where did that little seed get its tremendous strength? Where did it find its flavoring, extract, and coloring matter? How did it build a watermelon? Until you can explain a watermelon, do not be too sure that you can set limits to the power of the Almighty. The most learned men in the world cannot explain a watermelon, but the most ignorant man can eat one and enjoy it. God has given us the knowledge necessary to use those things, and the truth He has revealed to us is infinitely more important for our welfare than it would be to understand the mysteries that He has seen fit to conceal from our faltering view.”

Seed planting time is upon us. The gardener/farmer knows the importance of planting the right seeds at the right time. For the Christian, planting the right seeds makes all the difference, as well. I found a list of what we reap if we plant certain things in our lives. • If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. • If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. • If you plant love, you will reap happiness. • Plant perseverance and you will reap maturity. • If you plant kindness, you will reap blessings. • If you plant hard work, you will reap success. • If you plant self-discipline, you will reap satisfaction. • If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. • If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap bountiful blessings. In addition to these, let us also be concerned about planting the gospel seed. Plant the Word and God will give the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-8)

[Philippians 1:6] “…He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” To any individual striving to become more and more like Jesus, but keenly aware of their many stumbles, these are refreshing words! One of the characteristics of our God that boggles the mind is His wonderful and incredible patience. Indeed, He is “longsuffering toward us” (2 Peter 3:9) as He molds our character through our life events (Philippians 2:12-13). Through each experience, each decision made, each Bible verse read, each prayer uttered, each person served, each trial faced, each victory enjoyed, and each defeat endured, God is working on us. And He will continue to work on us until the day of Christ’s return. When you discover personal sin, remind yourself that you are a work in progress. Don’t ever justify your sin on that basis. Deal with it and obtain forgiveness for it according to God’s will. Then thank Him for His amazing patience and forgive yourself. God desires that you mature in the faith (James 1:2-6) and that you become increasingly holy (Romans 12:1-2). Through His amazing patience, He helps us overcome our weaknesses and sins, by giving us the necessary room to learn from them. Weed your garden often and live (Matthew 13:38).