Mark 4 – The Listening Plan

Devotional

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.”

– Mark 4:26-27

Earlier in Mark 4 Jesus explains that the seed (at least in the previous parable of the sower) is the word (of God). It is not a stretch to apply the same interpretation to the seed of this later parable too. In doing so, we are presented with an interesting truth.

The minister of God, like a sower scattering seed, gives forth the Word of God, which ultimately sprouts, grows, and produces fruit. In twenty years of preaching and pastoral ministry, I can attest that this is observationally true. But I can also say that I, myself, do not know how it works.

It is a miracle of God’s grace. I faithfully sow the seed of the Word of God, and every Sunday night I sleep, and then I rise on Monday to prepare and plan (throughout the week) to do it again. But how it sprouts, grows, and produces fruit … I do not know how. Grace, upon grace! God gives the increase.