New Seed
Journal 2005 04 02
New Seed
Spring rains come in behind yesterday’s storm front and begin to soak the prairie. As water penetrates the dirt, dormant seeds are reminded of their purpose by the fresh touch of water. This water from the heavens brings life to the seeds and they begin to germinate, or sprout, below the surface of the earth gaining the structure needed to breakthrough the surface. Protected from the freezing morning temperatures until the surrounding dirt is warmed beyond danger. As the seeds take life hidden in the darkness of the earth they are being prepared to receive the light of the sun by changing from seed to plant. As the fragile shoot breaks out of its dark womb it seems to strain for the heavens. The light of the sun begins to add a new substance, chlorophyll, to the food the plant receives and from it new growth and strength is received.
On the prairie, this simple process brings life to the flesh and blood that call the prairie home. These tender shoots of prairie grass are eaten by the animals who are later killed and provide food and much more to the people that live on the prairie. Elk and bison much too lean from the frozen winter to provide much food for the people begin to feed on the tender grass breaking through the surface and from this simple process flesh and fat are returned to the mighty beasts of the prairie.
Meat for food, hides for clothing and shelter and many other items, bones and sinew are used for many more. In fact, elk skins and antlers are still found in gloves and boots. Antlers are still prized as handles for knives. We no longer wear bison robes or use their hides to cover our beds or make walls for our homes. But you can imagine their usefulness. We wear shoes made mostly from bovine hides. If bison and elk were in abundance, rather than dairy cows, we would be wearing shoes made from bison and elk hides.
And the rhythm of the season goes on. Do we hear it? Would we recognize it if we did?
Do you see a pattern in this simple story of rain on the prairie? A pattern that reveals a process just as simple, yet with eternal value on something, someone, far more valuable than a seed.
God plants a seed into the ground and it is watered. It grows and bears fruit. And He, in His infinite wisdom, is the only One who can harvest this crop.
“And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings out fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit has been brought out, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. And He said, to what shall we compare the kingdom of God? Or by what parable shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth. But when it has been sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches, so as to enable the birds of the air to roost under its shade.”
(Mark 4:26-32)
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life shall lose it. And he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also My servant shall be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. And My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this cause I came to this hour.
(John 12:23-27)
Have we, have you, followed him in this death? Have you fallen into the ground, died to your selfish desires and been planted as a seed in the garden of God’s choosing? Or do you love your life so much that you are unwilling to yield it to Him? Either way, you will lose it. At some point you will go into the ground. In yielding to Him and being planted in His garden you will be changed in the process and raised into eternal life no longer a seed, but like the small seed of grass on the prairie, you will rise anew, being transformed by the light of His Son and the care of His Holy Spirit bearing much fruit.
Jesus cried out in prayer, His soul troubled, because He knew death awaited Him. But He knew that if He fell into the ground His Father had prepared for Him, the very purpose for His coming would be fulfilled.
He would become that smallest of seeds, germinating into a shoot that would branch out and bear eternal fruit.
Do you see that pattern in your own life? If you are “born again” you’ve fallen into the ground and been germinated and changed and risen out of death as new growth. If you’ve allowed the Light of His Son to add a new substance, the Holy Spirit, to feed your very life, you should see growth and branches and a mirroring of this pattern of eternal growth. If you are born again and don’t see this growth, if you don’t see any branches stretch for Heaven as a new shoot would stretch toward the sun and be changed by the action of His Holy Spirit. Like the plant, you need the Light of the Son for change and growth. Let it work through your innermost parts and bring a food you’ve never known.
If you are not “born again” you must first die to yourself and your own selfish self-willed life. Can you see how you might be like a seed that needs to go into the ground, die and be born anew? Transformed by the action of God’s living water and His care and the receiving of the light only His Son can shine in the deepest part of your being?
Let Him do that to you today. This very second. Fall to the ground. Raised by Him and then nurtured and fed as you bask in the light of His Glory. Eternity in the heart of man. Real food for all mankind.
New Seed
Spring rains come in behind yesterday’s storm front and begin to soak the prairie. As water penetrates the dirt, dormant seeds are reminded of their purpose by the fresh touch of water. This water from the heavens brings life to the seeds and they begin to germinate, or sprout, below the surface of the earth gaining the structure needed to breakthrough the surface. Protected from the freezing morning temperatures until the surrounding dirt is warmed beyond danger. As the seeds take life hidden in the darkness of the earth they are being prepared to receive the light of the sun by changing from seed to plant. As the fragile shoot breaks out of its dark womb it seems to strain for the heavens. The light of the sun begins to add a new substance, chlorophyll, to the food the plant receives and from it new growth and strength is received.
On the prairie, this simple process brings life to the flesh and blood that call the prairie home. These tender shoots of prairie grass are eaten by the animals who are later killed and provide food and much more to the people that live on the prairie. Elk and bison much too lean from the frozen winter to provide much food for the people begin to feed on the tender grass breaking through the surface and from this simple process flesh and fat are returned to the mighty beasts of the prairie.
Meat for food, hides for clothing and shelter and many other items, bones and sinew are used for many more. In fact, elk skins and antlers are still found in gloves and boots. Antlers are still prized as handles for knives. We no longer wear bison robes or use their hides to cover our beds or make walls for our homes. But you can imagine their usefulness. We wear shoes made mostly from bovine hides. If bison and elk were in abundance, rather than dairy cows, we would be wearing shoes made from bison and elk hides.
And the rhythm of the season goes on. Do we hear it? Would we recognize it if we did?
Do you see a pattern in this simple story of rain on the prairie? A pattern that reveals a process just as simple, yet with eternal value on something, someone, far more valuable than a seed.
God plants a seed into the ground and it is watered. It grows and bears fruit. And He, in His infinite wisdom, is the only One who can harvest this crop.
“And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings out fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit has been brought out, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. And He said, to what shall we compare the kingdom of God? Or by what parable shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth. But when it has been sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches, so as to enable the birds of the air to roost under its shade.”
(Mark 4:26-32)
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life shall lose it. And he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also My servant shall be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. And My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this cause I came to this hour.
(John 12:23-27)
Have we, have you, followed him in this death? Have you fallen into the ground, died to your selfish desires and been planted as a seed in the garden of God’s choosing? Or do you love your life so much that you are unwilling to yield it to Him? Either way, you will lose it. At some point you will go into the ground. In yielding to Him and being planted in His garden you will be changed in the process and raised into eternal life no longer a seed, but like the small seed of grass on the prairie, you will rise anew, being transformed by the light of His Son and the care of His Holy Spirit bearing much fruit.
Jesus cried out in prayer, His soul troubled, because He knew death awaited Him. But He knew that if He fell into the ground His Father had prepared for Him, the very purpose for His coming would be fulfilled.
He would become that smallest of seeds, germinating into a shoot that would branch out and bear eternal fruit.
Do you see that pattern in your own life? If you are “born again” you’ve fallen into the ground and been germinated and changed and risen out of death as new growth. If you’ve allowed the Light of His Son to add a new substance, the Holy Spirit, to feed your very life, you should see growth and branches and a mirroring of this pattern of eternal growth. If you are born again and don’t see this growth, if you don’t see any branches stretch for Heaven as a new shoot would stretch toward the sun and be changed by the action of His Holy Spirit. Like the plant, you need the Light of the Son for change and growth. Let it work through your innermost parts and bring a food you’ve never known.
If you are not “born again” you must first die to yourself and your own selfish self-willed life. Can you see how you might be like a seed that needs to go into the ground, die and be born anew? Transformed by the action of God’s living water and His care and the receiving of the light only His Son can shine in the deepest part of your being?
Let Him do that to you today. This very second. Fall to the ground. Raised by Him and then nurtured and fed as you bask in the light of His Glory. Eternity in the heart of man. Real food for all mankind.
posted by @2007 Dick Cinkovich | 11:11 PM
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