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August 28, 2022 8:00 pm
In 1879, people watching William Beal would likely think he was loony. They’d see him filling bottles with seeds, then burying them in deep soil. What they didn’t know was that Beal was conducting an experiment that would span centuries. Every twenty years a bottle would be dug up, its seeds would be planted, and researchers could see which seeds would germinate.
Jesus talked a lot about seed-planting, often likening the sowing of seed to the spreading of “the word” (Mark 4:15). He taught that some seeds are snatched by Satan, others have no foundation and don’t take root, and yet others are hampered by the life around them and are choked out (vv. 15–18). As we spread the Good News, it’s not up to us which seeds will survive. Our job is simply to sow the gospel—that is, tell others about Jesus: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (16:15 esv).
In the year 2021, another of Beal’s bottles was dug up by researchers. Beal’s seeds from 1879 were planted—and some sprouted, having survived more than 140 years. As God works through to share our faith with others, we never know if our testimony will take root, or when. But we’re to be encouraged that our sowing of the Good News might, even after many years, be engaged by someone who will “accept it, and produce a crop” (4:20).
Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily reading today titled seeds of time was written by Kenneth Peterson in 1879. People watching William Beale would likely think he was loony, they'd see the professor of botany filling 20 bottles with various seeds than burying them in deep soil. What they didn't know was that Beale was conducting a seed viability experiment that would span centuries every 20 years.
A bottle would be dug up to planet seeds and see which seeds would germinate. Jesus talked a lot about seed planting, often likening the sowing of seed to the spreading of the word.
He taught that some seeds are snatched by Satan. Others have no foundation and don't take root and yet others are hampered by the life around them and are choked out as we spread the good news.
It's not up to us which seeds will survive. Our job is simply to sow the gospel to tell others about Jesus go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Jesus said in Mark 16 and 2021, another of Bill's bottles was done I got the seeds were planted by researchers and some sprouted.
Having survived more than 142 years as God works through us and we share our faith with others.
We never know if the word we share will take root, or when, but we are to be encouraged that our sowing of the good news might even after many years be received by someone who will accept it and produce a crop. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is from Mark chapter 4 verses 13 through 20 then Jesus said to them, don't you understand this parable. How then will you understand any parable.
The farmer sews the word.
Some people are like seed along the path where the word is sown as soon as they hear it. Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root they last only a short time when trouble or persecution comes because of the word. They quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word accept it and produce a crop. Some 30, some 60, some 100 times what was so now let's go to God in prayer or Jesus.
Please give us courage to share you with our friends and family and colleagues who don't yet know you and then allow you to water and fertilize the seed that we've planted, trusting that you will make the seed grow. Thank you, Lord.
It's in Jesus name that we pray and share the good news. Amen. Thanks for listening.
Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries
