Last week we looked at the parables of the kingdom of God that follow Jesus parable of the sower as characteristics of the one who has good soil that will produce 30, 60 and 100 times what was planted. Monday Mantra – blessing of Good Soil. The first parable places a high priority on the fatih-action to respond to the word from God.
In today’s verse, Jesus talks about the soil growing the seed all by itself. If the seed will grow all by itself, what is your role in the growth? This parable teaches us to live daily by trusting in the growth of the faith-process.
Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a man sowing seed into the ground. Then it grows all by itself. The man starts the process by planting the seed in the soil. He makes this action because he has learned that the seed and the soil will produce a crop. By faith he plants the seed in the soil.
Next the growth happens in order. It never skips a step. The seed opens, starts roots, breaks through the ground, grows the stalk, produces a head and then the grain. The process in the kingdom can be accelerated, but never skips steps. There is a natural order of growth in plant life just as there is in a spiritual and fruitful life.
Lessons of the Faith-Process
- Place a good word from God in your ground. Meditate on the word from God.
- This word comes from a bible reading. Take the time to memorize it and look at its many applications for your life.
- Your prayer time could be the place in which you receive a word from God. He doesn’t just speak because He likes the way that He sounds. His word to you expects a response. Even a response of thanks and love is an act of faith.
- God uses others for you to receive a word from Him. This is not limited to a preacher. God speaks to each of us through the family members of God. Don’t sidestep the word, because you don’t agree with the life of the messenger. We enjoy one another, but also sharpen each other.
- Align your faith with the growth process. Muscles grow stronger through repeated actions of the same exercise. The Spiritual disciplines are needed for the faith muscle to grow stronger.
- We live and grow through daily reading of the Bible. Even when you don’t think anything is working or its helping, your faith is growing stronger. The most prominent growth and strength exercise is reading and meditating on God’s word as our bread for life.
- Follow the Spirit – step by step. You don’t have to see the end of the journey, you can trust the Spirit to guide you on the paths of righteousness every moment of every day. He will lead you to the destination of a fruitful life. Don’t veer from this very important point in the process. Learn to hear what the Spirit is saying. Then follow-up with the faith action of obedience. This repeated action develops a healthy mature follower of Christ.
- Repentance is for the maturing believer. Learn and know how to repent well. This sign of humility and brokenness is for the mature.
May you be blessed with the repeating actions of the Faith-Process. To God all the glory for the transformation that He makes in your life. Don’t stay a baby Christian. Provide all of the right environment for God to produce maturity in your life. Be a lover of God’s word, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, and repeat daily. God’s word will be growing stronger, muturing and bearing fruit…all by itself.
Blessing Love y’all