Acts 4:1-4
The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up
to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly
disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus
the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it
was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who
heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to
about five thousand.
Our neighbor plants hyacinth bean vine every
summer. From the large terracotta pot, he strings wire from stakes in the dirt
to a beam, so the plant will train its way up and stretch toward the sun. I
enjoy watching the progress as the seeds germinate and push through the dirt and
become seedlings. As they grow, large heart-shaped leaves emerge with pretty purple
veins. By the end of summer purple blossoms spike from the stem, and deep
purple seed pods dangle.
Like my neighbor's plant, my faith started from a
seed sown by folks in my life who loved Jesus. The seed germinated because
someone watered my faith with teaching and love, as God poured his grace over
me. During challenging times I've pushed through the dirt of grief, stress, and
sin to reach the Son. My stems have grown and stretched until I've produced
flowers to encourage others and seeds to plant in someone else's life. What a
beautiful process God has established. Love for Jesus begins with the tiniest
kernel and stretches and grows throughout life to produce the glorious blossoms
of his love.
In Acts 4, Peter and John planted the seeds of
truth as they preached about Jesus. Even though the Sadducees were angered and
threw Peter and John in jail, the people who heard the message took that seed and
believed. "But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men
who believed grew to about five thousand." Jail time didn't stop Jesus'
seeds of truth from sprouting and growing.
Who plants seeds in your life? Are you planting
seeds?
