My grandfather was a farmer, so I picked up on quite a bit about farming, especially for a guy who is not really one to work with his hands… unless it involves throwing a baseball or swinging a bat, of course. During the summers I spent at my grandfather’s house, I learned a few things about seeds that have not only shaped me into a more faith-filled person, but that have also helped me to teach others about faith.
All throughout the Scripture, our faith is compared to a seed. Let’s take a look at why. There are four characteristics of these tiny kernels that perfectly depict our faith. First, seeds must be planted in order to grow. (Obvious, right?) In order to see our dream grow, we’ve got to plant faith.
Second, things only grow from seeds that are well nurtured. If the seed is neglected or harmed, the harvest won’t grow. Our faith is the same. If we neglect it or allow disbelief to harm it, we won’t reap our harvest.
Third, the nature of the seed determines the nature of the harvest. The quality of the faith we plant determines the quality of the harvest we reap. Is it strong or does waver based on conditions?
Finally, in order to see the harvest, sometimes we have to see through the mud. All four of these characteristics are proven through the story of Noah in Genesis 8.
You’ve probably heard how Noah had a dream for his family to be saved from a worldwide flood. Once God spoke to Him that there everyone on earth would die, Noah planted his faith that God would save them. When others doubted, he protected and nurtured his faith-seed.
When it took years for the rain to come, Noah continued to build the ark the Lord instructed him to build that would carry him and his family to safety. The quality of his harvest matched the quality of his seed, and he and his family were saved. But then, Noah got off the boat. He looked to the north and saw mud. He looked to the south, east and west and saw mud. Mud was everywhere. So he asked God, “How are we supposed to eat? I don’t see anything growing in that mud!”
But God responded, saying in short, “Noah, you need to stop looking at the mud and remember what happens when you plant seed.” In Verse 22 he said, “As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
It’s the same for us. There are always going to be times in our lives when all we see is mud. We don’t see how God could possibly grow anything in our lives. But that’s not our job! Our job is to plant. And when we do, He’ll grow it. Even in the midst of mud.
Do you desire the abundant life that faith brings? I encourage you to follow these seed-faith principles. Strong faith always reaps a great harvest!
