Seed Drill

I went to church Sunday morning expecting to hear of how to approach each workday better as we continued a series titled Made for Monday. God had a different message for me to hear. Pastor Paul so beautifully described how God created the most meaningful work. Hearing his sermon left me to contemplate how important it is for me to sow spiritual seeds and how I wrongfully let so many irrelevant things get in the way. As Paul finished his sermon, God tugged on my heart. “To remember Jesus is to rededicate to Him. Jesus had an ugly and dirty job, but He gave it his all and did it out of a heart of love. Jesus did not look forward to his work, he knew it would be hard, but he did it.”

I need to rededicate myself to Jesus and what is important to Christ. His grace and love was not meant to stop with me.

Then the band began to lead us into communion. The drums pounded the message further into my chest. The music began to stick in my mind like glue. The words spoke to my heart and circulated within me. My thirsty soul was watered as a dry and desperate flower feels each drop of water pouring over it. Wilted no more a beautiful blossom from a seed once placed.

Psalm 96:3 tells us we are called to “tell everyone about the amazing things he does.”

In the farming industry, Seed Drills are large machines designed to do the hard work of planting seeds for crops to grow. What is interesting about these machines is they not only drop the seed, they also cover each one in the soil so the seed doesn’t fly astray. It is important to cover the seed with rich soil so it grows to become a part of the crop as intended. We must cover the spiritual seeds we plant in others with prayer. Prayer can activate the Holy Spirit. Prayer can soften a heart. Prayer can make the impossible very possible. God will cultivate the seeds if we plant and fertilize them with prayer.

Pastor Paul was a vessel of God. Not because he has a large stage to stand on and hundreds of people come to hear his preaching, but because he prayed. He asked God to work through Him. Had he not been so connected with God in prayer and readiness with the Lord, the words would have fallen short. Instead His words were delivered as if from God himself. I am not sure if others in the room felt God the way I did, but it was just what I needed to be reminded I too am a vessel for God to work through. . . We all are!

It is about being ready to do God’s work at any moment. It is about being free of self-doubt, status, bank accounts and fear. God puts things on our hearts and works in mysterious ways in our lives for a reason. If we keep God a secret, who will know of His majesty and power? The blessing would stop with us. How sad. God’s blessings are so richly designed for sharing to be infused in others. Don’t worry if you share, God won’t run out of the good stuff. When we share, it makes believing and having faith meaningful.

Verses of scripture like Mark 16:15 can seem intimidating for it says, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” Perhaps these words seem as if they were meant for someone other than self, leaving feelings of self-doubt or a lack of knowledge and experience to stop us dead in our tracks. That is what Satan wants you to think so a flood of people feel unfit and incapable of spreading the Good News. Preaching simply means to teach and we do not have to stand behind a pulpit to teach for others to learn.

Plant God's seed to see His beauty grow

Sometimes preaching the Good News is just being kind because it may be the only kindness a person has in their day. Follow it up with a prayer. Pray the person would have their mind blown because of repeated experiences representing God’s kindness and love leading them to Christ. Some preaching and seed planting will find you in more intense and Bible focused conversations. Perhaps you will surprisingly share personal accounts of God from your own life. Each person is different. Each seed is different. Just as the soil has to be turned to receive the seed, a heart has to be prepared to receive its spiritual seed.

Nothing is too small or insignificant if done in and for the glory of God. If you are living by example to model a relationship with Christ you can plant a seed. When I was a young child, I remember my mom’s notepad and loose papers randomly placed throughout the yellow pages of the pad. It slightly resembled a pile of trash or the inside of a middle school locker to me. I later learned the pile was not trash at all. It was all the prayer requests she had received and the prayers she was actively praying over. I didn’t really understand as young kid what all the kneeling and whispers were. I didn’t realize her weekly bible study and dedicated talks with the Lord were her planting a seed in me. Because of God’s work through the Holy Spirit in me, her seed was cultivated into a deep and personal relationship with Christ.

Imagine for a moment you are in Heaven. You have had your moments with the Lord, been reunited with your friends and family and then there are people standing in line waiting to thank you. Some of these people you may not recognize. Others will bring joy and thanksgiving to swirl inside you. They shake your hand, hug you and are in celebration with you. The seed you planted in their soul ultimately led them to spending an eternity with Christ.

What we do on this earth matters. Regardless of our circumstances, money, and the things of the world distracting us, we are designed to do God’s work and share the Good News. When we are celebrating in Heaven the things of this earth will not be important. True joy will be witnessing all of the many souls in Heaven because of the seeds your Seed Drill planted.

God I am so sorry. Because of your work, I am rescued yet I act as though I need more. Please forgive me Father. Lord, help me to have a heart of love just as Jesus did. Help me Lord to live a life to model hard scripture like Mark 16:15 so you may receive all of the glory and more beautiful souls will be introduced personally to your love and acceptance. I pray this prayer for all who read these words and those who receive a spiritual seed because of them in Jesus name. Amen.

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It is not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. – 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 (NLT)

May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. – Hebrews 13:21 (NLT)