No Planting, No Fruit - Martin Wiles

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 1 Corinthians3:6 NLT

We planted the sapling, but never knew whether we’d see a tree.

During a special festival in the town where my wife and I lived at the time, a local resident gave us a maple sapling. We picked out a spot in the backyard, dug a hole, inserted the sapling, packed it, staked and tied it with sticks, and watered it well. The first year, the little tree looked pitiful. In fact, we wondered whether we’d see life the next spring. We did. The second year wasn’t much better. The sapling grew a smidgen, but again we wondered whether we’d see leaves the next year. Again, we did.

Then we moved three hours away. We often wondered what happened to our tree. We rented the home we have moved from, and other renters had moved in. We wondered whether they’d care for the yard—and our tree—as we had.

Several years later, we moved back to a neighboring town and one day rode by the house we once lived in. There was our tree, healthy and tall. Someone had watered and tended to it. A strong healthy tree had replaced the tender sapling we planted.

Paul says the same happens in the spiritual realm. He planted new churches on several missionary journeys. Others came behind him and watered his work. God then gave the growth.

We plant, negatively or positively. We either plant good seeds in peoples’ lives or bad seeds. Good seeds such as acts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and goodness. Or bad seeds such as hate, anger, unforgiveness, strife, and gossip.

Others water what we plant. In fact, we might be the waterer. At any given moment, we may never know whether we are planting or watering, but both are equally important.

The important part is that we plant and that we do it intentionally. We can sow good seeds in others’ lives on purpose. If we don’t, we may automatically—or unintentionally—sow corrupt seeds.

When we plant good seeds, God causes growth. A person may come to know Him as Savior. If they already do, our watering may help them grow spiritually—or even pursue God’s call on their lives. We never know what type of tree will grow from the saplings we plant or water.

Find some way you can plant or water a seed in someone’s life today.

Tweetable: What are you planting?

Prayer: Father, give us opportunities to plant and water seeds in people’s lives. 

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Seed Sowing - Martin Wiles

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Matthew 13:8 NLT

“I feel like I need to apologize to you.” 

Jonathan was a young boy when I first met him. My dad pastored the church he and his family attended, and I lived in the area for a year. Then I moved on. Fifteen years later, I taught at a small private school that Jonathan attended. He was now a teenager. A good kid, but he wasn’t too interested in school. Several other children who had attended that small country church also attended the school.

After four years of teaching, I moved on again. Now a message was popping up on Messenger from a lady whose son I had also taught at that school—and who attended that small country church. They wanted me to preach their Homecoming message. I accepted. 

As I stood before the congregation, I asked those whom I had taught to raise their hands. Eight young men and women responded. Some I had misgivings about when I taught them—Jonathan included. Would they make it through school? Would they amount to anything? But they had. All were now married with families of their own. They were business owners, financial representatives, teachers, farmers. One was even the headmaster at that small country school.

Jonathan didn’t need to apologize. Neither did the rest of them. They were merely teenagers growing up. Me? I was just a seed sower who had planted a few seeds that were now producing fruit. But I wasn’t the only one. Their parents had sown too. So had the church and other schoolteachers.

Jesus said that’s what happens when we sow on fertile soil. And the soil of these young peoples’ lives was fertile. Their parents had brought them to church and taught them the principles of God’s Word. Teachers and preachers in the church—and at school—had reinforced their efforts. Now they reaped the benefits.

No matter our position, we’re seed sowers. We sow into others’ lives—students, friends, casual acquaintances, enemies. We offer a firm foundation for them to build on, a relationship with Jesus Christ. We offer an example of right living in a world gone wrong. And we’re patient—as the gardener and farmer are. Seed doesn’t sprout overnight—nor does it produce fruit in a week.

Look for daily opportunities to scatter good seed. Then wait for it to produce fruit.

Tweetable: What good seeds are you sowing?

Prayer: Father, send us opportunities to sow seed into people’s lives.

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Flashback Friday - Planting Seeds - Martin Wiles

Planting Seeds

How could one tree grow so tall and stout? 

While walking our dog one afternoon, I observed something I’d never noticed before. An oak tree at least one hundred feet tall. Since the subdivision we live in was once wooded, it’s doubtful anyone planted this tree. Its beginning no doubt started when an acorn fell from a neighboring tree or when a squirrel planted an acorn. Had the acorn never fell or been planted, the tree would never have existed. Read more...

Tweetable: What kind of seeds are you sowing?

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