
All life is a seed, even you.
It is astonishing how one single seed can reap so much fruit. What's even more fascinating is that, the fruit from one seed, planted by a farmer in another part of the world, winds up traveling thousands of miles across oceans, just to feed us. Mangoes from Mexico, kiwis from Australia, bananas from Guatemala, star apples from Costa Rica, pitted dates from Morocco, or figs from Turkey. If you stop for a moment to acknowledge that a farmer in some distant town or country tilled the land just so that you could have a piece of fruit or some other sustenance, it can be truly overwhelming.
The Bible uses the term “seed” as a metaphor for all kinds of biblical concepts. It can be an actual seed for planting; or, it can be a thought, a beginning, a lesson, an idea, a child, even currency. Yet, the most fascinating is that, before God completed the creation of the world, He placed seeds in every living thing to recreate itself. Even the Word of God is a seed. It places a thought within us, and with it we gain the ability to blossom beyond our current circumstances. Oftentimes, the thought is internalized so deeply, it transforms us beyond recognition. God also gave each of us the seed to recreate human life. Whether it’s biological or with the manifestation of our words, we are laden with seeds. And, while we may consciously withhold ourselves from the active transmission of our biological seeds, our words can be strewn with the flick of our tongue; words carried far and wide by the winds of life, without regard to their effect. These tiny unseen seeds have the power to grant life or death, war or peace, growth or decay, lethal criticism or joyous praise.
Whether you acknowledge it or not, you continuously plant seeds every minute of every day. It can be a simple “thank you,” a kind gesture, or a word of encouragement sown so deeply it manifests for years to come. Or, it could be a curse, an obscene gesture, or a snide remark sown so rudely it manifests immediately, creating destruction and chaos as it travels far into someone's unforeseen future.
All of life is a seed, even your words. The question is, when your seeds finally take root in the many people they were planted in, what will we reap? Will it continue as sustenance, feeding others far across oceans, or will it spawn continuous and utter destruction? L.
Study Reference: Genesis 1:11-12, Proverbs 18-20-21
From: "Seeds." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: Warren M/ Underwater Baby series by Seth Casteel