Walking With Christ

In the story yesterday, I mentioned a vibrant garden that was full of all sorts of plants that grew in all shapes and sizes while producing leaves and fruits of every color imaginable. Each plant grew from a seed of its own type. There were no apple trees growing in the places where acorns were planted. There were no watermelons growing from potatoes. It was the variety of seeds the filled out the garden and provided the sweet bouquet of scents that were pleasing to the gardener. It wasn’t a single seed that grew all of the different types of plants. It was a variety with each type of seed giving to and taking from those around it to form the delicate balance that the gardener wanted. Some plants needed a lot of direct sunlight to grow and could not flourish under the shade of a large tree. Other seeds needed little to no light and would find themselves getting burned away if they were not in the comforting shade the trees provided. The trees themselves were nourished by the nutrients pushed back into the soil as a byproduct of the plants growing beneath them. Each seed had a place where it would thrive best and the gardener knew exactly what seed to plant where.

The point is this: not all seeds are the same and not all soil is the same. In the parable of the sower, Matthew 13:3-9 and 18-23, we see the different types of soil on display. The sower, in this case, was only using a single type of seed because only the one crop was desired. A lot of other different seed types are mentioned in the bible. Some seeds are better suited for harsher, colder, or hotter environments and won’t thrive as well in other places. Some require massive amounts of water to grow. Others thrive in places where water is sparse. Others still will only grow after they have been exposed to a hot enough flame for long enough to burn away the hard exterior. Some of those seeds wait years or even decades for the fire that will prepare them to prosper.

The parable of the sower shows us the metaphor between the seed and God’s word. While God’s word is always good, we have to remember that the same words that blossom and produce amazing bounties of fruit in one heart will wither or rot in another heart. Just because one type of seed withers in one heart doesn’t mean that no seed can grow there. Every seed has a place where it is best suited to grow. Every word of God has a heart that will see growth and transformation upon receiving that word.

If the seeds we are planting do not seem to be taking root, then we have to ask about the type and quality of the soil. It could be that we are planting the wrong seed in the wrong place or in the wrong season. That never means we should stop planting seeds. It just means that we need to be mindful of the type of seeds we are planting and the season we are in when planting them. Remember, it’s God that gives the growth and we have to trust in His timing and provision to know that we indeed have the right seed in the right place at the right time.

1 Corinthians 3:6-8 (6)I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (7)So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (8)He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.(ESV)