As I wrote down the title to this blog, I wondered how many people would wonder what I mean by kingdom seeds. So let me begin today by saying that as a Christian, the definition of kingdom is the rule and reign of God through Jesus Christ. Jesus, sent by His Father to save mankind, began his ministry by ushering in a new kingdom—a kingdom that would have no end:
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will have no end. (Luke 1:32-33)
The angel described the kingdom that Jesus would usher in, one with no end, and the Gospel of Matthew describes something I like to call kingdom seeds. Seeds sown in God’s kingdom that bear eternal fruit. Jesus describes and I paraphrase…
A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field some seeds fell on a footpath and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow and the plant without deep roots died. Other seeds fell among thorns and were choked out. But others fell on fertile soil and produced a huge crop.
Jesus told this parable illustrating different hearts who receive the Word of God. As I read through Matthew 13, it strikes me that in the course of my Christian walk, my heart has been all of these things– a heart that received, but didn’t dig deep for a personal understanding of God’s Word (in one ear and out the other); a heart that allowed seeds to scatter but did not worry about watering them with intention of being life-changing. And I was the heart that allowed the world and its temptations to choke out His Word.
BUT… I have also had a heart that allowed God’s Word to go deep; to transform through surrender to His Word; through my willingness to allow the Lord to plow my heart and prepare my heart to receive His Word.
Which heart are you? Probably like myself, you have been all of the above as well. The beauty of God’s Word and the tender loving Shepherd who leads us demonstrates God’s relentless pursuit of us.
Years ago I was reading through the Bible in a year, and I was zipping along out of duty. I was determined per my New Year’s resolution, to read through. However, after a few months, I was falling behind. Maybe some of you have had the same experience. So determined to stay on track, I read through the next month as if I was on a track determined to win the race.
BUT GOD…
One morning I read the passage in Matthew about kingdom seeds and recognized that the seeds scattered in my heart were falling on shallow ground; nothing going deep, but I was getting the job done. I missed the whole point. The Holy Spirit brought great conviction that my heart needed to be fertile ground in order for the Word to transform my life and bear fruit. That very day I stopped the read through the Bible in a year program and moved towards reading God’s Word in order to have God’s Word read me.
Kingdom seeds are sacred. They are not meant to be scattered on shallow ground. They are not supposed to be choked out by the cares of the world. Kingdom seeds are meant to take us deeper into the love of Christ.
How about do a heart check today. Are you willing to allow God to speak to you through the seed of His Word taking you to a deeper level of His love? Try starting each day with a simple prayer:
Lord plow up the soil of my heart so that your Word today can fall on fertile ground and may my life produce a harvest of good things for your glory.
Joanne
