Encouragement

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Mark 4 verse 26And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

I planted a garden this year. In early February, I planted potatoes and onions, and green English peas. In early March, I planted corn, squash, green beans, and watermelons. First, I had to prepare the seedbed, then I had to make the rows, put the seed in the soil, and apply fertilizer. After I labored doing these tasks, I had to sit back and wait to see if the seeds I planted would spring forth from the soil.

The Lord sent a good rain, and some sunny days that warmed the soil. Being kind of impatient, I scratched the earth where I had planted corn, and discovered that many of the seeds I planted were planted too deep. I went to the seed store, bought more seed and replanted.

Early this morning, I went to the garden alone to see how many seeds had sprang forth. Lo and behold, most all of the seeds had produced a plant. I could clearly see the results of my labor! Potato leaves shining brightly, little corn stalks, green beans peeking their small ears through the warm earth, tiny watermelon plants stretching forth to the sun, and peas and squash making their appearance. Most all of the seeds I had planted, from the large potato seeds to the small pea seed, had taken root and were growing! My labor had not been in vain!

This earthly garden gives one a sense of God's presence, and of His infinite wisdom...who but God can grow a plant from a tiny seed? The Bible speaks of sewing seeds, spiritual seeds, into the Lord's kingdom. After awhile, the seed will germinate, if planted in the right kind of "soil", and produce a human plant for God. Planting seeds in a earthly garden is labor intensive. So is planting seeds for a heavenly garden. In both cases, all we can do is labor, and only God can give the increase!

Mark 4 verse 27And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

Mark 4 verse 28For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

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