Seed And Soil Moments

 

We don’t get to choose our moments for God, but we do get to choose whether we will be obedient in them. 

There was a time when I was full of plans and intentions for the Lord. I had all kinds of noble aspirations and fruitful expectations. And a large part of my early ministry was fueled by a strange mixture of genuine desire to serve and please the Lord, and my own ambition. It was a mixture that would only and ever produce wood, hay, and stubble, and the time finally came when I had to put all those plans and intentions in the fire of the altar, and learn how to wait upon the Lord and be led. 

I have now learned that “gold, silver, and precious stones” are usually random, unexpected moments the Lord leads us to by His ambitions, rather than ours. And those moments are often simple “seed and soil” moments that may not seem spectacular at the time, but if we are obedient, will produce spectacular eternal fruit. 

I was reminded of this truth yesterday, as I wrote a personal note in one of my student’s dialectical journal entries. A student shared their struggle with faith, and I reminded the student of specific scriptures which tell us of God’s faithfulness and then I simply said, “Real faith is sitting in the dark trusting that God is sitting next to you, even though you don’t feel His hand.” 

It was a “seed and soil” moment— a “gold, silver, and precious stones” moment that I didn’t choose by my own ambitions, but was led to by the Lord’s. 

(1 Cor 3:11-13) For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

(Isaiah 30:18) And therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore  He will be exalted … blessed are all they that wait for Him.

(1 Cor 3:5-7) What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

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