God is in control of everything in the universe. Nothing is beyond his control. What he says happens. He alone is Lord of death and life. He can bring down the proud and raise up the lowly.

God promised to restore the people of Israel from being an enslaved and despised nation to a free nation, restoring them to their own homeland. God fulfilled that promise to Israel.

God sent his Son to redeem us from our enslavement to sin, establish his kingdom on earth and open the way for us to go into our heavenly homeland. Jesus is the tender shoot that God the Father planted to establish his kingdom on earth. That young shoot grew into a sturdy tree that towers over and above all other trees where all kinds of birds are able to build their nests and find shelter.

Jesus brought the nations into his kingdom by his death and resurrection. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, he has redeemed all humanity. God’s salvation is open to all who wish to become part of his kingdom, no matter who we are or where we are from. God has spoken this promise and we can be confident that he will fulfil it.

The growth of God’s kingdom is mysterious and cannot be controlled by us. We can contribute to developing it, but we cannot control it by our efforts. Like the farmer, our task is to sow the seed – the Word of God. It is the teacher’s responsibility to teach. The farmer cannot force or cause the seed to grow. The seed grows as nature intended, taking time.

Once the Word of God is sown in a person’s life, it will take time to grow. It will be in God’s timing, not ours. After sowing the seed the farmer went about his normal activities. He shows no anxiety about the seeds’ growth. He plants the seed with the hope of an eventual harvest at the right time and has patience while the seeds grow.

The growth of the kingdom of God comes from him and not from human effort. The seed will fulfil its destiny and produce the expected harvest. In the same way the growth of God’s kingdom will reach maturity at his appointed time. God’s kingdom will be established on earth by God himself. The sowers of the seed should not become discouraged if they do not see immediate results of their work. Reaping the harvest is God’s work. He alone knows when and how to do it.

PRAYER: Abba Father, may I patiently share your Word with others. Amen.