Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - How God Works | New Testament | Mark 4

Episode Date: October 4, 2023

Do you see God working and moving in your life? What role do you have in the way that God is moving in your life? In today's episode, Jensen explains a parable in Mark 4to encourage you that even though you might not see how God is working in your life, you can have confidence in his plan. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Join the TMBT community in reading the entire New Testament in one year. Get your FREE reading plan here. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter@TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Mark 4

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. And the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. I am not a farmer, but my grandfather is one, and I grew up hearing about and watching him farm. Now, being retired, he loves to talk and share about farming. My husband and I recently visited my parents' hometown, and while we were there, my granddad talked his ear off, showing him all the different combines and tractors they had. He was walked us through a field of his crops, he talked about the weather and what it would mean for the harvest. He could go on and on, and he did. He loves what he gave his life to, and it's evident. Now, this wasn't the first time I had heard him talk about farming, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

And if I've learned anything over the years, it's that farming takes hard work, but it also takes a lot of patience and waiting. It takes a lot of surrender to the weather, and every season it involves hopeful anticipation of harvest. I'm sure there are some farmers who are listening today, but I'm also sure that there are many of us in our modern contexts who don't interact much with farming or gardening. But that wasn't the case in Jesus' day and age. You see, Jesus lived in an agrarian society, which is why many of his parables often have to do with farming. In chapter four of Mark alone, we see three different parables that have to do with farming. The first, the parable of the sower focuses on the importance of the soil that a seed is cast onto. Jesus uses the example of good

and bad soils to help the disciples understand that the people they share the good news with, the seeds they cast, will all be cast into different soil. The people who hear the Word of God will all experience it differently. Some will be hardened to it. Some will seem energized by it, but won't let it take root in their lives. Still, there are those who hear and grow, but have eventually become choked out by the trials and temptations of life. But then, there are those who have good soil, who hear the word, and it takes root in their life, and it grows to produce a bountiful crop, producing fruit beyond what you can imagine. So just as the soil matters greatly in farming and planting of seed, so too does the heart of the hearer upon sharing the gospel. Now later, Mark tells

the parable of the mustard seed, sharing that while the mustard seed is the smallest and the most unassuming at the beginning, when it grows, it is far bigger than the rest of the garden, and it provides a home for the birds of the air in its branches. See, Jesus is alluding to the nature of his ministry. While it may seem small and unassuming for a time, not quite what the people might have expected of their Messiah, when it becomes fully grown over time it will be a great kingdom. with great blessing and provision from God. But in between these two parables, we find the parable of the seed growing. And it was this very short parable that stood out to me as I read it today.

Let's read it together and remember that the point of the parables is to reveal a truth about the kingdom of God to those who will understand. Verse 26. And he said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night. night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows. He knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe,

at once he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come. So what do we learn in this parable? Well, first, we learn that there's a man, a farmer, and he takes action. He scatters seed on the ground. And then that same man sleeps and rises day after day, while the seed itself does the work. It sprouts and grows, and he doesn't exactly understand how it happens. But we learned that the earth is producing this plant by itself, first a blade, then an ear, and then finally the full grain in the ear. And after even more time, when the grain is ripe, the farmer must be ready at once to put in the sickle, which is a farming tool he would use to cut down this grain, because it is finally time to harvest.

Now what does any of that teach us about the kingdom of God? Well, first let's look at the part of the farmer, which is the people of God. He takes action and scatters the seed day and night he watches over the seed. We don't know for sure, but if the plant is growing, he would be tending to it, protecting it, watching over it. But ultimately, he's patiently waiting for the plant to do its thing. Now we look at the seed, which is the kingdom of God. It's planted in good soil and over time slowly

it sprouts. It grows, it ripens. It isn't a fast work, but one that takes an entire season. But it isn't the farmer that teaches it to grow. We learn that the earth produces by itself. And finally, it's ripened. And at once, the farmer comes back. He was ready, he was waiting, he was watching and he is ready to harvest and enjoy what has grown. You see, when we take the parable and break it apart, we learn certain truths about the kingdom of God, namely that while it requires the participation of the people of God, ultimately it's by the power of God alone that it will grow and produce and bring about a plentiful harvest. Now this parable, along with the other two surrounding it should bring us incredible hope and encourage us as we remain faithful to building

the kingdom of God. You see, Jesus is showing us that as we work for the kingdom of God, we must take action and share the gospel, teaching, and learning from the word. And even when, like the mustard seed, the kingdom of God doesn't seem as glamorous or important as what the rest of the world has to offer, we are to remain faithful. Because over time, slowly, God, God is at work. It is by His power that Scripture transforms hearts, that the Holy Spirit breaks down barriers of disbelief that justice slowly pours into the ends of the earth. And as we faithfully wait and serve and do our part, we have a hope to hold on to. Although the seed may have looked small when we planted it, although we may not understand exactly how it's going to grow,

although we may toil and strive and sew and not see return in every circumstance, we know that a harvest is coming. And we are told to be watchful, to be ready because when the time comes, when the kingdom of God is established on this earth and Jesus returns, we are to be like the farmer who at once goes and reaps the harvest he is long awaited for. See, I love that image, the idea of a farmer, waiting, hoping, knowing that harvest is coming, checking in on his crop, caring for it, knowing it so well, being with it steadily day after day, so that at the exact moment the grain is ripe,

he is able to at once reap a harvest. See, we may not know exactly how God is at work building his kingdom. We may not know how God changes hearts, how he works in the lives of others, how the Holy Spirit works, how the church will grow, how the love of God will grow in our lives. but we do know that one day he is coming to establish his kingdom once and for all. He will return to dwell with his people and the harvest that we have waited for, the joy, the kingdom of God will be far greater than anything else we could have ever imagined. And so today, you and I, we wait.

We wait patiently and watchfully as we participate in the glory and wonder and mystery of growing God's kingdom here on earth. We pray. we read the word of God we participate in and serve in our churches, all the while knowing that God is using our steady faithfulness to produce his kingdom. It may not always look grand. It may not always go perfect. It may not be easy and it may take a long, long time. But we are called to trust and to faithfully participate as we put our hope in the coming harvest the Lord is preparing for us. Now, I want to end today a little differently. I want to end by reading Psalm 84. This Psalm has long been a

favorite of mine as it speaks of the joy of longing for being in the presence of God and dwelling with him. The hope of harvest kept the farmer faithfully day after day waiting and tending to his crop, even when he didn't understand fully. And it's my prayer that you and I, that we would long for God's kingdom like the psalmist does here, and that that longing would sustain us until the day that the Lord returns to build his kingdom here on earth. Psalm 84. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts. My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young at your altars.

O Lord of hosts, my king and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house ever singing your praise. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways of Zion.

As they go through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs. The early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength. Each one appears before God in Zion. O Lord of hosts hear my prayer. Give ear, O God of Jacob. Behold our shield, O God, look on the face of your anointed. For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper

in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a son and shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.