“He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.” —Mark 4:26-29
Jesus is teaching us in these verses the sure truth that undetected and without clamor, yet insuperably and without fail, God carries on His good work in the lives of those who believe. I am reminded of Paul’s words:
“I thank my God every time I remember you. I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 1:3-6
King David wrote similarly in the Psalms:
“The LORD avenges me. O LORD, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made!” —Psalm 138:8
“No one overcomes the corruptions of his heart except by the enabling strength of the Spirit of God.” —Jerry Bridges
He who has begun a good work in us will most assuredly perfect it! We can be certain God will finish what He has begun. Our hope must be based solidly not on our own weak strength–for that will certainly fail us–but on the surety of the love of God–for that will never fail us. This confidence of the good work being completed within us will give us great comfort. The work of grace will be accomplished wherever it has been begun. The continuous work of grace in a life makes us more and more like Jesus and fits us rightly for the enjoyment of God. Wherever this good work has begun we can be sure God began it. We cannot begin it by ourselves because we are by very nature dead in our sins and trespasses. God alone makes alive what was once dead. I am reminded of Ezekiel’s amazing experience in the Valley of Dry Bones:
“The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and placed me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. He made me walk all around among them. I realized there were a great many bones in the valley and they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign LORD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, listen to the LORD's message. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live. I will put tendons on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them.
He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.” —Ezekiel 37:1-10
Through belief in Jesus, we are offered life in abundance! Jesus tells us in John that He came to give us life!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” —John 10:10
Take It to Heart
A.W. Tozer once said that we can have as much of God as we want. He is the One who gives us life that is truly life. When we hunger and thirst for His righteousness, He will fill us. Why would we want to avoid Him and His abiding peace and joy when we can have as much of Him as we want? God offers us life that is truly life in abundance! He promises us the fulfillment and purpose in life we all so greatly desire, and yet we often so wrongly go about searching for fulfillment in a myriad of other ways. However, ultimate and complete satisfaction only comes from the Savior.
“The real believers relentlessly believe that. The world or circumstances will try to dupe you differently–but it’s a law as irrefutable as gravity itself: no matter what—as much God as you want. Is there anything else worth wanting or having?” —Ann Voskamp