Long car trips with my family on the way to a holiday or conference or whatever else will always be one of my favourite things ever. Food (but never too much of it) is coupled with loud singing; my sister reading a book to us (subject matter ranges from old South African stories to finance to psychology); solving the world’s problems, singing very loud to our favourite songs (if that includes anything hip-hop, then each of my sisters and I get a chance to recite a verse over the artist); or listening to sermons my dad likes and then discussing them at length.

The following is an adaptation of a favourite sermon that I heard by my dad, Russell Toohey, recently:

Last week the family drove back home from a well-enjoyed holiday in the Eastern Cape. Along the way we listened to one of our favourite speakers, Ravi Zacharias. Ravi is one of Christianity’s foremost apologists (defending Christianity and answering the hardest questions in the light of the Bible). He has six honorary doctorates, speaks to many, many governments, wrote over twenty books, is on numerous radio programs, and lots more. But it hasn’t always been peaches and berries.

When he was just 17, his dad had lost patience with him and after yet another severe beating told him strongly that he would amount to nothing and would just disgrace the family. He was so damaged after years of being battered by his dad, that he poisoned himself. A Christian worker met him in hospital, struggling to recover from the suicide attempt, gave him a Bible, and pointed him to John 14. This prompted Ravi to give his life to God. After immigrating to Canada from India, he studied for the ministry and was eventually led to start his apologetics project, which took off amazingly.

If anything, Ravi’s story is a tribute to God’s amazing transforming power.

I mean, it’s no wonder Jesus’ neighbours couldn’t accept him when He came back to their village full of the power of God. They could not believe how God had turned so little into so much. The book of Matthew in the Bible (13:55-57) explains it this way:

Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.”

But there were seeds at work in Jesus’ destiny that had germinated and totally transformed Him. God is like that: he is at work when it comes to planting the seed, and when the time comes to harvest. He is about small beginnings and amazing endings. Just think about the biblical story of Jesus, who multiplied five loaves and two fishes to the point where it was enough to feed thousands.

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, says the following (8:22):

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Consider maize as an example. If you plant one seed, the resulting ear commonly holds 400 to 600 kernels. That’s hectic power!

IF WE APPLY THE SEED PRINCIPLE WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS

The book of Matthew (17:20) says the following:

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” 

However, in the same way that sowing good seed into your life can transform you, sowing bad seed into your life will deform you. Wayde van Niekerk took the seed of a God-given running ability and combined it with seeds of training and opportunity, and now he is one of South Africa’s best-known sportsmen. He is reaping a harvest of fame and wealth. At the same time there are people who are reaping the harvest of bad company, bad decisions, and bad circumstances.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KING DAVID AND KING SAUL

Think of the example of King David and King Saul in the Bible: Both received the “seed” of kingship. Both had families. Saul had a most dramatic and supernatural introduction into kingship. Both had the Philistines as their enemies and a problematic Israelite people to unite and to work with. Both made terrible mistakes as kings and had serious character flaws – but one was cursed and the other was blessed, all because of life seeds they sowed and reaped.

King Saul gave in to the fear of man, told lies, disobeyed, and rebelled against God. These bad seeds started him down a slippery slope of anger and jealousy and self-destruction. Like King Saul, David began with positive and negative seeds, strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons. He killed Goliath at a young age. He became a renowned musician and general quite early as well. But after that he went into extreme tests and trials, running from Saul, being rejected by the nation and having to go into exile. He also made massive errors as a king – the adultery with Bathsheba and failing to correct his sons.

WHAT SEEDS PULLED DAVID THROUGH?

  • His high regard for God’s men: Where Saul lied to Samuel and compromised the instructions Samuel gave him; David repented when the prophet Nathan confronted his adultery. Saul went on to kill an entire village of priests because they supposedly sheltered his alleged enemy David.
  • His soft-hearted, humble capacity to repent.
  • His high commitment to a lifestyle of worship, devotion, and intimacy with God.

CONCLUSION

In the next few months, we’re in a position to make the choice to sow positive seeds that draw us towards God. The Bible book 2 Peter (1:3) says it like this:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

We also need to realise that our enemy the devil is real and that he is out to deform us, instead of us being transformed by God. The devil wants us sowing bad seed.

You don’t have to wait until it’s easy to sow good seed. God will honour that you sowed good seed in hard times. Psalm 126:6 says:

He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

If you are thinking about giving it all over to Jesus, consider 1 John 3:9:

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

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