Today we continue our series entitled, “Heaven on Earth,” by teaching on God’s Kingdom.
Yesterday I introduced you to the parable of the mustard seed. Let’s go back to it today. After teaching a parable about yeast, and how a small amount of yeast can EXPAND throughout an entire batch of flour, Jesus told today’s parable.
(Mat 13:31,32 ERV)
Then Jesus told the people another story: “God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree big enough for the birds to come and make nests in its branches.”
In the parable of the yeast there was a woman who had a small amount of yeast and 60 lbs. of flour. Jesus said the woman (herself) put the yeast inside of the flour. Once the yeast was placed inside of the flour, the yeast went to work. Before long it impacted the entire batch and caused it to rise. In the parable of the mustard seed Jesus said a certain man took the small seed and planted it in HIS field. Although it was the smallest of all seeds, it grew to the largest of all garden plants. These two parables were preceded by a third parable Jesus taught in the same setting. In that parable Jesus talked about a sower who went forth to sow seed. The sower sowed the seed into four types of soil and it produced four different results. Something the Lord pointed out ot me yesterday, as I meditated on these parables, is that all the sowing was done by the person in the parable. In the parable of the sower, it was the sower who sowed the seed. In the parable of the yeast, the woman was the one who placed the yeast inside of the flour. In the parable of the mustard seed, it was the man who owned the field who planted the seed. In all three stories, the person seeking the harvest had to sow the seed. Once the seed was sown, the Lord saw to it that the seed produced and although the investment (seed) was small, the harvest is huge!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. In Matthew 13 Jesus taught many parables about the Kingdom. I have discussed the parables of the sower, the yeast and the mustard seed with you. In all three the person seeking the harvest had to sow the seed. God is not going to do the sowing FOR you. The seed is symbolic of the Word of God. You have to get the seed of the Word down into the soil of your heart. Once you do, then God, who is the Lord of the Harvest, will ensure the seed produces. It may start off small, like it did in all three parables, but the results will be life-changing. Once the Word of God is planted within you, it starts to permeate throughout every aspect of your life and before long, it will change you from the inside-out.
2. In the parables of the yeast and the mustard seed, the point is that it only takes a small amount of seed (the Word of God) to change everything. Once the Word of God is sown in your heart, and you get ahold of the message of the Kingdom, it will EXPAND and EXPAND and EXPAND inside of you, until you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world” (1 Jn 4:17).
3. The Word of God inside of you is always working. In Mark 4, in another parable about the Kingdom, Jesus said the Kingdom of God is like seed sown into the ground. The person who sowed the seed does need a degree in agriculture for the seed to grow. He/she does not even need to know how the seed is working within the soil. Although it looks like nothing is happening, beneath the soil SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. The seed is working day and night, night and day. Even when the sower is sleeping, the seed is still working. And then one day, the sower sees something break forth through the soil. It starts small, but it will keep on working until it produces a full harvest. This is how it is with us. The Word of God is working in your life day and night, night and day. Whether you are asleep or awake, working or resting, the Word of God is still working. It may have started off small, but it will not stop growing until it produces a full harvest in your life.
4. I am sharing all these parables about the Kingdom of God so you can be encouraged. You may not notice the progress you are making. You may not be able to see how the seed of God’s Word is working in your life. But rest assured that it is. The Word in your heart is always working. If you want to activate and accelerate its production, you can meditate and medicate on it day and night. The more you meditate the Word, the more you will see yourself as a Kingdom citizen on this planet. Once that becomes your reality, you will look in the mirror and see Jesus. You will live “As Jesus is, in this world” (1 Jn 4:17). And you will leave a mark within your sphere of influence that will not be easily erased!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your Kingdom. Your Word is incorruptible seed, whereby I was Born-Again. The Gospel message was sown in my heart and it produced a salvation harvest. It is now my responsibility to continue to sow Your Word in my heart. I do! I read Your Word daily. I meditate and medicate on it day and night. Once it is in my heart, it is ALWAYS working. Day and night. Night and Day. Your Word is working IN me and it is EXPANDING. It will keep EXPANDING until it produces a full harvest. And since I sow Your Word in my heart daily, I reap divine harvest daily. This is how I become more and more like You. I look in the mirror and see Jesus. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I can say this with confidence, because Your Word is in me, and it is ALWAYS working! It changes me and now it produces change THROUGH me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
