All By Itself

He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."

Mark 4:26-29

There is a touch of the divine in farming. Agriculturalists have learned how to better help things grow – mostly by removing the barriers to growth, but the seed in the ground, breaking open and spouting is still a mystery. God’s creative order…

Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was like this. There is a touch of the divine! How I grow spiritually in Christ is mysterious. How the church grows is largely non-quantifiable. If we remove the barriers for growth (thorns, weeds, etc.; vs. 1-20) and spread seeds – growth happens and we won’t exactly know how. It’s by the Spirit of God that the Kingdom of God grows.

Father, You are God of the universe; the King of heaven and earth! This is Your Kingdom. And while I believe that You receive glory through my careful study and hard work in Your Kingdom, it is You that mysteriously causes it to grow. “All by itself” the Kingdom of heaven grows in the hearts of people. This is by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Please direct me this day. Give me insight and courage to identify and remove any barrier that would hinder the growth of Your Kingdom, whether in my life, in the life of my family or the life of Your church. May I be good soil! May I be receptive to Your Word planted in my heart so that a crop of 30, 60 or even 100 times what was sown may be produced. All for your glory!