Pastor Kent Christmas | What’s In Your Hand? | September 25, 2024
Pastor Kent Christmas | What’s In Your Hand? | September 25, 2024
Welcome to KCMI TV! Are You Ready for the Word of the Lord Today?
I know you are, or you wouldn’t be tuning into the podcast. Today, I want to discuss the concepts of seed, miracles, and sowing—insights God has placed on my heart over the past few days.
Let’s begin with our first verse, 2 Corinthians 9:10: “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” This verse reminds us that God is the one who provides seed to the sower. He not only gives us the seed to plant but also multiplies it and enhances the fruits of our righteousness.
In Jeremiah, the Bible refers to God as the “Lord of the Harvest.” The Apostle Paul touches on a similar theme, stating that one person can plant while another can water, but it is only God who gives the increase. According to Scripture, it’s not our responsibility or ability to increase the seeds we sow. All God asks is that we plant the seeds He provides.
He assures us that He will supply the seed, so we don’t have to come up with it ourselves. Our only act of obedience lies in planting the seed God has given us.
Reflecting on agricultural practices from biblical times, we see that when the Scriptures were written, sowing was a more manual process. A farmer would typically carry a bag of seeds slung across their shoulder. They would reach into the bag, take a handful of seed, and scatter it across the field, continuously reaching back into the bag for more seed to plant.
This brings me to an important question: What’s in your hand?
This thought was sparked by the story in 1 Kings 18, which deals with the prophet Elijah, King Ahab, and the prophets of Baal. In verse 1, it states, “And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, ‘Go show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the Earth.’”
To understand the significance, we must remember that over three years earlier, Elijah had prophesied a drought, declaring, “It will not rain for the next three and a half years.” Now, after this long drought, God speaks to Elijah, telling him He is about to send rain, despite the lack of clouds in the sky and the prevailing dry conditions.
If we examine the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, we find it addresses various types of soil where seed falls: rocky ground, weedy ground, and good soil. Jesus explains that the Word of God is the seed, and the seed that falls on good soil yields a bountiful harvest.
Returning to 1 Kings 18, we must ask: What does Elijah have in the face of the impossible? I want to challenge you: God gives you seed because you need a miracle. The seed is meant to be planted in the fields of your needs or your miraculous aspirations.
Consider the apple seed: it’s bitter and inedible. Why? Because God doesn’t want you to consume your seed. Eating your seed means consuming your harvest. Seed never satisfies; it’s not meant for human consumption but for planting in faith.
So, when God speaks to Elijah in a seemingly impossible situation, He tells him, “I am giving you seed—my Word.” Even when everything appears bleak, remember that God’s Word is your seed for a miracle.