THROWING SEED

THROWING SEED

Sometimes, those of us who write a blog, have a podcast, write a book, get up as a preacher or those who share with others about Jesus, wonder if anyone is listening. You don’t see any results of your hard work and love for the Lord. We all live in a microwave society. We want results and answers right now. We want to know we have actually served God in a way, that throwing the seed out there, helps others and turns their lives towards God. Our faithfulness to God, to continue, is tested.

Faithfulness is defined as: obedience over a long period of time-steadfast in affection or allegiance-firm adherence to promises or in observance of a duty-a place of trust and loyalty. It is not just simply belief but also strong conviction on our part to a certain commitment, no matter what the result. We have to have love-longsuffering-patience-endurance-steadfastness-dedication.

In Hebrews 11:1 we learn, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse is a description of what faith does: the substance or reality of hope and evidence of what we can’t see. Faith itself proves that what is unseen is real. This chapter continues to tell us about the heroes of faith. So many faithful people thru the ages, who did not even see the promise of a Savior.

James 5:17-18 tells us about a man named Elijah. He prayed to God and said to Ahab, a very wicked king, that there would not be rain on the land for three and half years, causing a drought. Ahab called Elijah, “…a troubler of Israel…” and “…my enemy…” During this time, Elijah took care of a widow and her son. (read 1Kings 17-18) Elijah also had a victory at Mount Carmel, seizing the idols and priests of Baal, executing them and burning the idols. Rain was brought back to the land. So, he was busy for the Lord “throwing seed.” But then, in chapter 19, Jezebel (Ahab’s wife) threatened to kill Elijah. So, he ran for his life. Which brings him into depression and the Bible shows how God took care of him. If you have never read this story before, take some time to read it. One fact it shows is that even a man of God can become down and lose hope after sowing seed for the Lord. And also shows, God is faithful to His promises, if we just don’t give up. Such an amazing read and testimony of Elijah’s faithfulness during the visual and invisible acts of God. So many lessons to be learned.

Something I want to bring to your attention about the story of Elijah is this. In the reading of James, we are told, “And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” Have you ever thought about that last part? When it actually rained, fruit was produced even though there was not rain for three and half years! During those years, there was actually someone scattering seed. People who had faith in God to continue on feeding the land with seed, believing, having faith, that God would provide for them. If no one had been scattering the seed during that three and half years, there would not be any seed to produce with the awaited rain. We might look around and don’t see anything coming from our efforts teaching others about Jesus and we quit. Even when we don’t see any visual effects of our continued faithfulness, God is working in the unseen. Our seeds are not going to waste!

1Corinthians 3:6-8 says “I (Paul) planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So, then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” Paul had started the church in Corinth. Apollos continued the ministry after Paul left. Both men were only servants through whom God worked. They could not boast about the increase or number of seeds thrown, because God GIVES THE INCREASE. Only God brings unbelievers to Himself, and works through our faithfulness when we do our part.

We must follow God’s commands, even when we don’t see any results. We are going to have doubts, like Elijah had, but if we must continue on down the path of faithfulness that our seed will take hold and produce fruit, even through those doubts we might have. It is our responsibility to do our job no matter what the results, for God will reward us for our efforts, and the quality and faithfulness of our work. We get so caught up in the things we have not seen yet that it causes us to question God’s faithfulness.

You may be saying that you don’t have enough faith to accomplish anything for the Lord. You don’t even think you can scatter any seed for Him. Matthew 17:20-21 says “…If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Mustard seeds are usually about 1 to 2 millimeters (an inch is defined as exactly 25.4 millimeters) in diameter. It is so tiny, one of the smallest seeds on the planet, and yet it grows into a towering and outstretched tree. The measure of our faithfulness and the impact it brings is up to God and the obedience of the receiver. We can have a ripple effect on others, even when what we do is not seen by man.

Our largest faithfulness is in our everyday lives: at the grocery store-cleaning up after our children at home-cleaning the church building-making sure the lights and heat or air conditioning are on before people arrive to services-the tone of our voice during telephone calls and texts-the smile we give to an elderly person. I could go on and on with selfless acts we can do. When my husband was sick, he told me that he couldn’t do anything for the Lord any more. I sat down and wrote down and gave him 100 things he could still do sitting at his computer. We can all show our faithfulness to our God each and every day, even when no one is around, even when it seems hard.

We let our external circumstances define the internal temperature of our faith. Being faithful to God is not contingent on your circumstances. When you think that, the devil is working on you! 

Continue to throw out that seed, whether you are a blogger, podcaster, or person living their best life in faithfulness to the Lord. There is someone needing and waiting to receive that seed. Robert Louis Stevenson said ‘Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seed you plant.’ The result of your actions may never be seen by you, but keep throwing that seed! God will reward you one day!

Till next time!

                                                                     Keela