Devotions From The FarmhouseSample

Planting Precious Seeds

I chuckled while I watched my little grandchildren plant a garden in their backyard. Their seeds were pretend ones and their tools were sticks they’d found at the edge of the woods, but they were so excited about the carrots and strawberries that would grow there soon. Their enthusiasm brought back memories of planting seeds when I was about their age. My first gardening memory was at Granny and Grandpa’s house. Their food garden was huge, and Granny bordered it with flowers that added a bright pop of color during spring and summer. The results of their labor were evident in their cellar which was packed with canning jars filled with their vegetable bounty. When I was about five, I finally got to help. I still remember walking between the furrowed rows of dirt, following Grandpa’s directions as I dropped seeds into the holes. To my delight, I even got to plant my own potato patch. I learned some things about planting seeds—crops don’t grow unless we plant the seeds. We can’t plant bean seeds and expect to harvest strawberries, and we can’t plant corn and reap carrots. We reap what we sow. That leads to the question: What kind of spiritual garden are we growing? That depends on what kinds of seeds we’ve planted, and how well we’ve tended our souls. A garden must be watered regularly and the weeds must be removed. The same is true of our hearts—and God promises that if we’ll weep for others as we sow precious seeds, we’ll reap a bountiful harvest.

Father, help me to sow seeds that will matter for eternity.