Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
As I write this devotional about planting seed, it's interesting since my name (George) means "farmer" or "worker of the earth".
What does a farmer do? If he or she is a good farmer, he works hard at preparing the ground for the sowing of seed. Each year, he waits in expectation for a harvest. Hopefully he toiled the ground well and the seed sank deep into the rich soil. Hopefully his watering was consistent and the seed will grow and bear large delicious fruit. But really, he can't know for sure until many months later when it's time for the harvest.
Perhaps you know that one of the trees for which Israel is best known is the olive tree. It doesn't take months, it takes YEARS for an olive tree to develop fruit! Hmmm. Who wants to plant a tree that doesn't bear fruit for many years? But guess what, once it starts bearing fruit it can keep producing on it's own for dozens of years! That was an encouraging word to us personally.
But we are all called to be farmers -- to bring in God's great harvest! What we often lack is the patience to wait to see fruit! We want those seeds to sprout right now and we lose heart when we don't see instant results.
The Lord promises that His Word will not be sent in vain, but will accomplish what He pleases and shall prosper where He sends it! Our job is to be faithful and patient! Let's not get discouraged when we don't see our seed producing. It will bring forth fruit in His timing! Be patient! Keep planting! And expect a bountiful harvest!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]When I was growing up in the 1980's we had a rotary dial phone. You put your finger in a numbered spot on a circular dialer which clicked as it returned to its place and registered the 7 or 10 numbers you selected. It took a full 10 to 20 seconds to complete a call and was really annoying if the number had a lot of 8s or 9s! Then came touch-tone phones...
When Elianna was two years old, we wrote this devotional fifteen years ago that I believe is relevant especially as we celebrated Father's day around the world.
We have a cord-free, battery-free alarm clock -- we call her Elianna. Like clockwork, at 6:45 each morning our 2-year old daughter, Elianna wakes up and begins calling for us to come and greet her good morning. At this point, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that those 8-hour sleep nights we used to enjoy just aren't going to happen again --at least for a long, long time.
Just a few weeks prior to this incident, the disciples were trembling for their lives as their Lord was arrested and then crucified. They had all fled in the Garden of Gethsemane and then Peter, whose boldness was legendary, had denied him three times. The fact that they had been serving with Yeshua (Jesus) for three years, witnessing many miracles, including Peter’s amazing walk on the water…
While John warned against deception in the last days, and we should be mindful and discerning the times in which we live, keenly aware of the rise of the spirit of Antichrist -- he also gave us encouragement: "...you have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Numbers 14:21-24 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord-- ...
There were times that Yeshua (Jesus) separated himself from the multitudes -- and there are times when we need to separate ourselves from our lives and ministry, and spend some time with our Lord.
Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced him in the most eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as “our illustrious guest.” Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.”