“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

A seed contains all the DNA material required to grow a plant, say, radishes or zinnias or squash, in your garden. But the seed itself is not the plant. It must be planted in the earth to produce fruit or shade. Likewise, the kingdom of God is already complete and whole through Jesus Christ. But for us to nest among its branches, we must plant the kingdom seed deep in our hearts, nourish and tend the seedlings, pull the weeds, prune away some dead wood, and let the kingdom grow, to blossom and bear fruit in God’s time. The day I plant a tomato seed, I won’t be having a BLT for lunch. Just the same, when I first recognize the Kingdom, I still face hardships of the world. As I cultivate kingdom
awareness, through prayer, study and service, I provide better conditions for the kingdom to flourish, and so look forward to the sweetness of the fruit.

CREATOR GOD, PLANT IN ME A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR KINGDOM. CONTINUE TO TEND ME AND BRING ME ALONG SO THAT I MIGHT BEAR FRUIT IN YOUR KINGDOM GARDEN. AMEN.

-Shared by Rose Anne Knight