This is Faith.
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”
I Corinthians 3:6 NIV
It’s a lovely warm morning and I’m writing in my journal gazing at the colourful flowerpots on the deck. Father, I am thankful for every flower blooming here because You caused it to grow.
Can this be true about everything in our lives? I can plant a seed but He causes it to grow. That’s comforting because I don’t have the power to grow anything anyways, only He does. This is freeing. The pressure is off.
I planted some marigold seeds into pots a few weeks ago. Just some dirt and a few seeds. I’m waiting patiently for the seeds to sprout. Oh, but me of little faith…I want to run to the nearest nursery and buy already-sprouted marigolds and plop those into the pots. Make it happen already. Help God along with the growing of the seeds so the pots on the deck look pretty and not just clumps of dirt.
I wonder what’s taking God so long? You see I want to help Him out. It doesn’t seem like He’s growing things exactly the way I want them to grow and certainly not fast enough. Really, what’s the hold up?
I get the nudge – maybe I ought to take a closer look at what is going on with me and my relationship with Jesus.
If I step back and let Jesus grow everything, then I am released from the anxiety of growing that thing myself. This sounds exceptionally wise, and not my own thoughts. Especially since I don’t have the supernatural power to grow anything.
So then, what do I do?
I do my part. I add a bit of water (faith), put the pots in the sun (faith), have patience (faith) and rest (faith). I don’t run off to the store (world) to get a quick fix solution. I have faith in God’s timing. Oh, there it is again – God’s timing.
God’s timing might be a year away. Have you ever had a flower spring up in a pot the following summer? That seems like a long wait for our little seeds to bloom. But, some seeds might take longer to root. Have faith.
Plus, it’s not up to me. Maybe my marigold seeds won’t bloom at all this year. So far, they haven’t. I will continue to believe, in faith, they will. And if they don’t grow – what then? I believe it’s not God’s time to sprout those seeds yet. When they do sprout and bloom – maybe next summer – what rejoicing! What surprise and unexpected joy. Hallelujah the seed has sprouted and is about to blossom.
Do I give up then when it appears like the seed will remain dormant? Nope. Sprinkle a bit more water. Wait. Believe in what He is doing is good. What if the seed doesn’t sprout at all? Sister, please don’t take on the burden and believe you planted the seed erroneously, that you did something wrong in the sowing of the seed. Don’t go down the road wondering “Did God really say…” – that is not the road you want to be on. Don’t let the thoughts that create doubt and chaos lead you.
Instead, believe in the truth of a small verse in Hebrews which lets us know of a great Cloud of Witness who were all commended for their faith but some of them never did receive in their lifetime what they had been promised and what they had faith for (Hebrews 11:39).
Can I take the high road of believing that not all of us will see the fruits of our sowing in our lifetime? Can I live with this? If the seed doesn’t sprout and grow in this season, or the next season – if the seed doesn’t grow at all in my lifetime, can I believe then, that the growing of my seed may be planned for the next generation? In obedience, we plant the seed He has given us to plant. Through it all, we let the peace of Jesus rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15).