Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, but after it is planted into the soil, it puts forth branches big enough for birds to rest in its shade. Jesus will meet you at your mustard seed, but it still does no good unless you plant it in the soil. A mustard seed will never grow unless you plant it. You plant a seed in the ground because you trust that it is going to grow.
I think there are a lot of people who mistakenly put their faith in the mustard seed, or into their vision of what that mustard seed is going look like once it starts to grow, instead of putting their faith in the invisible force that makes the seed grow. We don’t put our faith in seeds, or our vision of what we think that seed is going look like. We put our faith in the Person Who makes it grow. Relationship with Jesus Christ is about trust, even if your seed sits in the dark soil for a while. Even if your seed doesn’t grow the way you thought it would.
The Psalmist says, “We will not fear, even though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the sea...” (Ps 46:2). As the world seems to increase in its trembling, lift up your mustard seed and God will meet you there. Even if we live through times in the days ahead where it seems the very mountains are about to crumble into the sea, God will be faithful to meet you at your mustard seed. Don’t put your trust in this world or the things of this world, but put your trust in Jesus Christ Who has already overcome this world. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who then overcomes the world? Only the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:3-5)
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matt 13:31,32)
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord answered, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." (Luke 17:5)
Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t’ we drive it out?” “Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt 17:19,20)
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