40 DAYS in the GOSPEL Sample

UNDERGROUND

"And he said, 'The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.'" (Mark 4:26-27)

Near my (Shawn) house, a road is being built. Big machines are digging a dozen feet or more below the surface for storm sewers and foundations. One day, thousands of cars and trucks will drive across it with no thought of all the work that was done underground. It’s not exciting work. Virtually no one is driving by saying: “Wow. Look at that beautiful foundation.” But it’s essential to the process of building something stable and secure.

In this parable, Jesus teaches how the gospel works. Like a seed, it falls upon the ground. And depending on the conditions, the seed will sprout. Seeds are amazing. They can be dormant for years, but when planted in the right conditions, the shell will crack, and a tiny root will extend down into the ground. Later, the seedling pops through the surface but not before the work underground has begun.

As someone whose life work has been devoted to planting seeds of the gospel, I can forget how much is happening under the surface. Like a child who plants a seed, I look at the surface and see nothing happening. Impatience or discouragement may set in. But something may be happening that I can’t see. The miracles are all underground before they are ever seen.

The kingdom of Jesus is like this. Jesus shows that seeds may be planted anywhere. Like a seed that is good, the gospel is good news, but it needs a root. The evidence of the gospel may not be evident immediately. But later, sometimes much later, a leaf pops through the soil. The evidence of life underneath is now on the surface where it can be seen.

Take courage in telling others the good news of Jesus. Sow the seed. Even when conditions seem unpromising, there is hope in the good seed. You may not see all the excavation underneath or the groundwork that is being done by the root of the gospel. Be patient. God’s kingdom rarely begins with a bang but more often quietly, silently, like a baby in a manger on a still night in a stable.

PRAY ABOUT IT: Where have you been discouraged in the planting of gospel seeds—either in your own life or the lives of others? Don’t lose heart. Thank God for the power of the seed of the gospel. Pray for life, and ask God for wisdom where to sow.