“The sower sows the word.” Mark 4:14
The sower’s work is unimpressive. Picture a farmer scattering the seed by hand, walking 20 miles a day, up and down the same field. He looks out over the field at night, and it strikes him that after all his work, the field looks exactly the same as it did that morning. Nothing has changed. He has worked all day, and what does he have to show for it? His efforts haven’t made any observable difference.
This is the hidden pressure of all spiritual work. When you’re teaching the Word to your children, you sometimes wonder if you’ve accomplished anything. You work hard to sow the seed of the Word. But what came of it? How do you keep going? By having great confidence in the seed. The sower continues to work, because he is deeply convinced that the seed he is planting will bring a harvest that’s pleasing to God.
You will be greatly helped by seeing, not just what the Bible is (the Word of God), but also what the Bible does (the work of God). Psalm 19:7-8 says:
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
What does the Word of God do? It revives the soul, makes the simple wise, gives joy to the heart, and gives light to the eyes… It does these things because of what the Word of God is—“living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12).
Are you struggling to sustain a ministry of the Word to your children? Your small group? Other ministry? Where is your confidence?
