Seed. Time. Harvest.

Seed. Time. Harvest.

This is a principle that we see in nature, but it can also apply to the life of every person. Do you expect a harvest right after planting a seed? No, you would be silly to think you can plant an apple seed today, and expect a full grown tree tomorrow. If this is a silly way to think concerning nature, why do we accept this way of thinking for our lives?

As believers, we have a tendency to have this type of thinking. I think it stems from the microwave culture we live in. We want things to happen so quickly. We have to come to understand that there is a process to just about everything, and the length of each process varies. The process depends on the type of seed that was planted.

Priscilla Shirer once said, “You can not reap a harvest without planting a seed.” A farmer does not go into his field, expecting to reap a harvest, if he did not plant any seed during the planting season. If you desire to see any type of harvest in your life, you will have to plant a seed first.

If you are a believer, the seed I am referring to is the word of God. What has the Lord said in his word or spoken to you concerning any particular area of your future? Allow the seed of his word to be planted in your heart on good soil.

Seed. Time. Harvest.

Once you have allowed a seed to be planted, a process will then follow. This is where the time factor comes into play. Like I stated earlier, the time will vary. Not only that, the time will depend on the Lord as well as the type of harvest that will be produced. The time that a seed is being cultivated is known as the process. With this in mind, we have to purpose in our hearts to go through our process well.

What does it look like to go through a process well? It requires patience and intentionality. Since you don’t know the time required for each process, you have to trust the Lord and wait on him to bring the expected harvest. Patience is key.

During your process, you also have to be intentional about cultivating the seed that was planted. No one puts a seed into good soil, do nothing else with the seed, and expect a bountiful harvest. For a seed to grow and produce fruit, it has to get the proper nourishment, the right amount of water, adequate sunlight, and even be subjected to pruning. If we do this for the natural seeds, we should do it for our spiritual seeds as well.

Here’s what a practical example of cultivating a seed can look like. You notice a desire in your heart for community and more meaningful friendships. You pray about it, and the Lord leads you to Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

This verse would be the “seed” that you plant into your heart. Meditation and memorization will get it fully planted. The start of cultivating the “seed” would be evaluating the friendships you already have. You would then start to be intentional to allow the relationships to go from shallow to meaningful. Ways to do this could include: setting up lunch dates with different friends, being vulnerable in conversations, and putting reminders in your phone to reach out to them at different times. This list is not exhaustive, but it gives a few ways to take the word or “seed” and cultivate it once it has been planted in your heart.

Seed. Time. Harvest.

After you have gone through your process, you can then expect a harvest. We can expect a harvest to be produced because it is the Lord’s desire that we bear much fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10). In the example above, the harvest would be more meaningful relationships in your life. If you are taking the word and being intentional to apply it to your life, a harvest will be produced. It may not come right away, but you will bear fruit in your life. So though it tarries, wait for it. There will be a harvest!

Plant the seed.

Go through the process well.

Expect a harvest.

The harvest you desire in the future, depends on the seed you plant today. What are you waiting for sis? Get to planting some seeds.