Small seeds grow huge deeds
Recently on our trips through the upper tier of northern states and to the southwest, my wife and I noticed something that got us to thinking. In places there were rock slides and we could see a tree had grown straight up out of barren place and what appeared to be solid rock.
There was really not much dirt and yet those trees were growing. What really got our attention was how huge rocks were broken into small pieces as the trees got bigger. We could almost see those tiny roots going in the crevices, being nourished and then just getting stronger and gradually moving and breaking up that mountain.
As we thought about that, my wife told me her mind went to faith; how our faith can start small and as it grows in the Lord it can bust up the mountains of doubt, fears and sin and how just a small seed can do so much good or damage, depending on the seed.
As my mind went to the fact that sin that can do the same thing, I thought about how it can start small and nobody notices, and before you know it, it can also destroy mountains, our testimony and, if left unchecked, even us. This is why we are told by Jesus in Luke 12:1: “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 5:6 speaking of sin, “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”
And telling us in verse 7 and 8 to “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
It only takes a little small seed of sin and first thing you know your walk with the Lord is shattered and a rock slide happens destroying a lot of surrounding area.
The great thing, though, is that we have this amazing God who has made a way of escape from our sin, doubt and heartache having broken down every wall (mountain) that separates us from Him — as Ephesians 2:14-16 says “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”
God did this through Jesus Christ our Lord and He did it because we have no way of doing it ourselves. All our works and good deeds do not bring us closer to God; all we can do is cry out to our loving God for mercy and believe in the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. In fact, even this is not of ourselves. We are told in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
What a wonderful God! He reached down and tore the veil that separated us and we know He did it because it was tore from top to the bottom. Scripture says in Matthew 27:50-51: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”
Wow, that is so amazing. Have you ever thought about how that happened and what it signifies?
I don’t know about you but my wife and I want that rock slide to be because of the working of the tiny seed of faith in our lives and not because of sin in our lives.
How do we build our faith? Romans 10:17 tells us “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Hearing the Word, believing the Word, obeying the Word. Believing that God wants the best for us and is working in our lives and doing as the Word tells us in Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” And in verse 7; “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” What a promise. What a wonderful God and Father.
Editor’s note: Charlie Newman is pastor of Avoca Christian Church. To contact him, e-mail pastor@pastorcharlie.net, or write in care of The Times at prtnews@nwaonline.com or P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.