Recently, words from Beth Moore's book Stepping Up spoke to me in a painful personal circumstance I found myself in. She talked about the idea of "sowing the seed" of God's Word. Here's an excerpt:
"The seed of God's Word can fill our stomachs and give us immediate satisfaction, and still not produce a harvest - that's when we eat it but don't sow it. We have to get down on our knees in the hardship of our circumstances and apply God's Word to the most difficult places, believing God will bring a harvest.
If we don't see an immediate result from our acts of obedience, we often decide to dig up the seed. Hebrews 6:12...tells us to 'imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.'
Sowing the seed of God's Word in a terribly difficult situation is not easy! But God absolutely promises you that if you do, you will receive a harvest... Get down on those knees and start digging in the ground of your reality and sow some seed. He who promised is faithful."
That analogy has stayed with me, and I contemplate it and pray about it sometimes, as I continue to deal with this particular struggle. This morning as I scrolled through Facebook, I came across a link to a blog post called "How Deep are we Digging our Ditches?" Funny how God ties things together. Here's part of what Marisa wrote:
"Most of the time, not only do we not dig our ditches as if we are expecting to receive enough, but for sure not deep enough for the abundant blessing intended. What could happen if we just give God bigger reservoirs to fill?
..Grab a spade, a shovel, a spoon, a bulldozer, whatever you need to begin with. Just start digging where He tells you to. Then keep digging."
Goodness. As I read these two lessons, I almost feel like I literally need to go outside, find a shovel, and start digging a hole somewhere!! The camp maintenance staff probably wouldn't appreciate that, though, so it's a good thing this is intended in a spiritual sense. So instead, I'm asking God, what do I need to be doing in my life right now, to dig up the ground of this circumstance You have me walking through, and sow the seed of Your Word into it?
I want to be a faithful sower....to not let Satan or the world or my own doubt steal the seed of the Word away (Matthew 13:18-). I want to believe God's promises, and not just satisfy myself with them (being merely a hearer of the Word - James 1:22), but put the faith effort into really believing Him, and sowing those seeds into my situation. I want to see a harvest!
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree." Matthew 13:31-32.
So, though really I'll just be praying in my room, I'm imagining myself on my knees on this soggy, sandy Alaskan ground, with mud up to my elbows, digging a hole and planting seeds...with tears on my face, because God promises, "Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting" (Psalm 126:5)...asking Him to be faithful, to let me see a harvest from this present difficulty He has placed me in. He is good, all the time. I believe that.
