Sometimes I get discouraged in the plodding of everyday faithfulness when days, weeks, months, and even years go by without seeing fruit from my labors. Maybe you can relate—as you persevere in prayer for an unbelieving loved one, diligently train your young children, or steadfastly continue in the work God called you to, you sometimes wonder if it’s worthwhile. Does it really matter? Will my efforts ever produce anything good?
I often feel this way about writing. I waste my time if my readers are not encouraged, edified, or equipped to know Jesus more through his Word. I want my work to go beyond information and lead to transformation—for the glory of God and the good of others—but sometimes I wonder if it’s selfish of me to desire a fruitful result from my writing. God doesn’t owe me anything, nor do my readers.
Consider this: Would you plant a garden if you knew the seeds were dead and would not grow? Would a farmer plant in the spring without hope of a harvest in the fall? Of course not. We plant with expectation, God sends the sun and rain, and the earth yields a crop—that’s His design. God’s ordained seasons and a seed’s life cycle justify our expectation of fruit.
The same is true of sowing gospel seeds—whether witnessing to the unsaved, teaching children the truth of God’s Word, or writing words to point readers to Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, we have no reason to doubt an eventual harvest, yet we forget the potential and power of God’s Word.
Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God said, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10–11).
God intends his Word to accomplish something. As he sends rain and snow to the earth to produce growth, refreshment, and sustenance, he gives us his Word to fulfill a purpose—to bring forth life (John 6:63).
“Jesus said, ‘How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade’” (Mark 4:30–32 NLT).
The seed is the gospel of Jesus Christ. His death (like the death of a seed) produced a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God. Like the enormous plant that grows from the tiny mustard seed, one gospel seed holds within it the promise of eternal life.
God is sovereign and accomplishes his purposes in his perfect timing and in his own way. We have the privilege of being a part of that process sometimes, but it’s ultimately the Lord who produces the fruit. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth”.
Our part is to scatter and water the seeds; God does the rest. But as we scatter, let’s scatter with the anticipation of a harvest because of the power and promise of God’s Word. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
