Laughing out loud when my husband shared the story, I soon recovered my composure enough to wonder what my neighbor was thinking now. Maintaining a large backyard garden, he plants dozens of seeds each year. Having a small variety of melon and pumpkin seeds left, on his way to the prepared plot for planting, he tripped. Staring at the scattered seeds all over the compost pile, he stood staring in disbelief.
“There’s no help for it.” He good naturedly smiled.
With no possibility of retrieving the seeds, and knowing the compost pile offered the perfect spot for those types of seeds, he preferred waiting for the outcome. As with all seeds, when sown in good soil, they produce fruit. Though the scattered seed promised haphazard growing, before long the true fruit became distinguishable.
WHEN SEEDS SCATTER IN OUR LIVES
Much like the scattered seeds of my neighbor, words scatter across our lives on a daily basis. Some, we cultivate diligently, while others grow haphazardly; but both bear fruit. In the Parable of the Sower, (Matthew 13:1-23) Jesus emphasizes not only the Word of God as the seed, but the necessity of the seed falling on good soil.
Obedient to Christ’s teaching, we attentively cultivate the soil of our hearts, preparing it to receive the good seed of God’s Word sown carefully in our lives.
Much like planting seeds of faith, receiving the good seed of God’s Word through personal Bible study, submission to preaching, and various avenues of teaching, into carefully prepared soil, produces an abundant harvest in spiritual growth. (Matthew 13:8)
But while the Holy Spirit sows the seed of righteousness into the good soil, the enemy sows seeds of wickedness in the same good soil.
Join me today at my dear friend, Tammy Kennington’s blog for 7 Ways to Recognize God When seeds Scatter to learn how to discern the righteous seed of God from the wicked seed of the enemy.
Oh, Donna! I picture the ‘trip’ and the ‘scattering’ of precious seeds. What a garden there can be in the scattering of the seeds of God. Only that I do and will!
The diligence in caring for the garden is so essential whether it is a physical garden planted as planned, or in a wonderful pile of healthy soil planted as an oops! scatter, or in the garden of life everywhere we are.
Linda, your words are so true and thoughtful! I appreciated my neighbor’s response and his care for his scattered seeds! I praise God I, too, will diligently care for the seeds God scatters in the garden of my heart!
Donna, Love this – seeing how seeds of words can either be God or Satan and worldly influences. Thank you for all of your insights and Scripture here.
Thank you Deborah, I truly enjoyed writing this post for Tammy!