The Seed

I have been thinking alot lately about the power in the seed.

When we look at a seed, it seems small, insignificant and almost to be scorned - what great thing could possibly come from such a tiny even ugly thing? Looking at a tiny apple pip we seldom see or even think of the potential that is hidden within it - not only is there the ability or potential in that one seed to produce an apple tree. No, there is the potential in the seed for an apple tree - which in turn will produce in it's lifetime hundreds (thousands?) of apples -which in turn will have inside them the seeds which if planted and cultivated continue the process...

In my own life I have many times despised the tiny seeds. Overlooked them. Undervalued and underestimated them.

You see there are many seeds that God has placed within us - the potential in the seeds NEVER change - inside each seed is still the DNA to produce something great, something of value. However, if we never see in faith, if we never believe that in that tiny, insignificant seed there is power - we will not plant it, we will not nurture it and we will not hang around long enough to pick the fruit.

I am reminded of the scripture that tells us to Stand and Stay Standing! I think one of the biggest challenges of our time is our "I want it all and I want it now" (thanks Freddy Mercury!!) mentality. Fast Food, Instant everything makes us look at the big "apple trees" around us and forget that that is not the way they started out. We look at greatness in people's lives and forget the seeds that were planted many years ago, the diligent watering and nurturing, the seasons (many of them painful) that were endured, the choice to stand and not give up... We forget the price that many have paid to get to where they are today, and look at our own small and seemingly insignificant seeds - and we don't believe that we have what it takes - because we don't recognise... Greatness is hidden in that small seed.

By the way - you can choose - would you rather have "instant" - a mushroom grows overnight and is gone overnight too. Or are you looking at something more permanent with lasting value - like the oak tree?

What farmer do you know that plants a seed tonight, and expects to harvest his crop tomorrow? Yet many times this is exactly what we do... we walk away too soon because we don't see the harvest... We need to realise and embrace the process and not resent it.

God has put within each of us the seeds of Greatness. The seeds of Significance. The seeds to bring great change and blessing to our Generation. We need to stop looking at what we see with the natural eye, and start looking at what God sees. We need to stop looking at the "raw product" - the lump of coal and SEE with God's eyes the potential - the diamond!

Lift up your eyes!! See! God has placed within you Greatness!
You are created in the IMAGE of your awesome Father... you have the Spirit of THE Great One inside of you!
You are the fruit of the seed that God planted more than 2000 years ago - when He gave His only, dearly loved Son as the first seed, seeing the potential to receive much...
And in turn, you have within you the same seed - the "apple does not fall far from the tree" in your case!
You are your Father's child!

I am reminded of the widow woman who's children were going to be sold to pay off her debt and when she asked the Prophet Elisha to help, he asked her: "what do you have?"... she had a little oil and he told her to go and get as many pots and containers as she could and when she had brought them, he started pouring the little oil that she had into the containers and as he did the containers were filled and the oil only stopped when there were no more containers. (Read all about it in 2 Kings 4)

This is the power of the seed. Will you take the risk with me? Will you dare to see the potential in the tiny seed and offer it back to God in an act of love and worship to Him... daring to plant it in the rich ground of His Love. Nurture it daily by your faith and belief that even though you cannot see the desired outcome right now, you know that seed is there in the ground and that something is happening. Will you fertilise it by spending time in His Word so that your Faith can be built up and you can hear His instructions for the tending of the seed? Will you water it regularly by speaking Faith words, Life words over the seed? Will you protect the seed from weeds by continuing to walk in holiness and getting rid of the sins that so easily want to distract you? And once the plant starts to grow, so that you can start to SEE something - will you determine to stay standing - not to allow the winds of adversity to bend your little tree out of shape? Will you hang around long enough for the tree to grow strong enough to start producing fruit, or will you after a year or two give up on it and walk away - without ever having the chance to enjoy the rewards?

My prayer is that our wonderful, loving God, our Father, the Master Gardener will give us the eyes to see with faith the great potential He has placed in us. That He will help us to persevere through all the seasons when it seems that nothing is happening. That He will grow us from the inside out, pruning us here and there until our character conforms to His will for our lives. That by the power of the life of the seed, the power of the Spirit of the Living God that flows through our veins - the very power of our DNA - we will bear much and healthy and good fruit.

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Romans 11:16(b) and if the root is holy, so are the branches.