Seeds

A garden cultivator with steel fingers.  A large rectangle of freshly-turned earth raked smooth.  Long furrows drawn in straight rows.  A hoe, a cardboard box full of seed packets.  Tomato plants and a bucket of water.  Fertilizer.  The anticipation of seeing seeds come to life and push through the soil.  Prayers for rain -- but not too much rain.  An aching back, quivering hamstrings and sweat.  A prayer for a cooling breeze.  Blisters.  A prayer for cloud cover.  A cup and a picnic jug of ice water.  The tamp, tamp, tamp of the hoe seating the gently-covered seeds of corn, beans, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes.  The chop, chop, chop of the hoe digging holes deep enough for tomato plants.

These are pictures that spring to mind as I re-live the planting of my vegetable garden years ago.

I am reminded of Jesus' teaching about seeds from Mark 4: the importance of good soil conditions so plants can thrive and produce a good harvest.

I am also reminded that our words and deeds are seeds we sow every day.  The kind of harvest we reap will be up to us.  Our words and deeds come from the thoughts we think.  No wonder God tells us to "guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23) 

The words we say from our heart are very important, as James 3:2 -12 (NIV) plainly tells us:  "We all stumble in many ways.  If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.  When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take the ships as an example.  Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder whenever the pilot wants to go. 

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

Given the importance of the tongue in determining what kind of life we'll have even after we asked Jesus to be our Savior from sin, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2).  As we read the Word of God, it's important that we agree with it and ask the Holy Spirit to transform us.  Affirming God's Word out loud is a very important part of taming our tongue.  The Word of God is alive and powerful, and will effect transformation in us by the breath of the Holy Spirit.

Our tongue is like a rudder for our life.  What do you need in your life today?  Sow the seeds of God's promises that cover your situation into unseen soil and reap a good harvest.  Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season you will reap if you don't faint.  (Galatians 6:9)  Through faith and patience we inherit God's promises. 

Mark 4:26-29 tells Jesus' parable of the growing seed.  "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."

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy