Most of us eat every day, some of us too much because yesterday's food
is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do some
of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to keep
us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all
of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to
live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to Your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker, Elle David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning.
It is Thursday, July twenty five, twenty twenty four. Hello,
my name is Elle David Harris. I am your host, and this is
your Daily Portion where we give you God's word every single day, and today
is no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series through the Book
of Mark, and our caption for today is Parables of Growing Seed. Parables
of Growing Seed. We'll take a peek at that and also look at mustard
seed just for a little bit today. But before we do, I'd like
to say welcome to you and ask you to please go over to your Daily
Portion dot com. Please join our online community, pick up the Your Daily
Portion book and let us know where you are in the world at your daily
portion dot com. This is one of the ways that we continue to build
faith and fellowship. Let's go ahead and pray, and then we will get
underway. Father and Heaven, thank you for giving us the opportunity to open
up your word again. Please give us the seed of faith, the seed
of truth, the seed of reconciliation and of repentance, so it can all
grow into holiness. Father, teach us how to yield our will to you
today in Jesus name, I pray, Amen and Amen again parables of growing
seed. Let's go ahead and begin by reading from Mark chapter four, beginning
at verse twenty six. Mark chapter four beg at verse twenty six, and
the Bible reads, and he also said the Kingdom of God is like someone
who spreads seed on the ground. The Bible continues. He goes to sleep
and gets up night and day, night and day, and the seed sprouts
and grows. Though he does not know how I can tell you, let
me just pause right here, that I have that experience like I grew up
in the city, one of the most notable cities in the world, as
they say, and a whole lot of people in a tiny little place,
too many people in a tiny little place. And then I had the privilege,
many years later to have a rural home in West Virginia with Simone,
my wife. Right, and yeah, well we got rid of we got
rid of, well not got rid of. We got somebody to chop down
thirty trees in a particular area we needed to. And then I rented a
back home and pulled up the stumps. And now the ground is is fertile
for something, but nothing's really there, just weeds and so forth. So
I'm not a like I say, I'm a city guy. Right. So
I went and bought some a big bag of grass seed. And because you
know, I'm just basic, I put my hand down in the bag and
I pick up the biggest handful of seed. And because the ground you can
even smell how fertile it is, I just start flinging the seeds everywhere,
flinging the seeds everywhere. Some people might say I was sowing the seeds.
I didn't use one of those little seed spreaders. I just handfuls of seed
and just broadcast them everywhere. And wouldn't you know, within just a couple
of days, we started to see the seed springing up, and within a
couple of weeks. I don't know how it happened, but now it looks
like a green carpet of beautiful grass, and it's like, oh, I
get it. He goes to sleep, and he gets up night and day,
and the seed sprouts and grows. Though he does not know how.
I promise you, I didn't know how that happened. I just knew that
I did whatever the little bag said at the back. It was a big
bag. Really, it's like fifty pounds of seed. Hah, don't laugh
at me. It's just one of those things. I didn't know what I
was doing. But it says here by itself, the soil produces a crop,
first the stalk, then the head, and then the full grain.
In the head, of course, is speaking of a certain crop. And
then in verse twenty nine, and when the grain is ripe, he sends
in the sickle because the harvest has come. We used to see all kinds
of crops growing in those beautiful lands of West Virginia. Yes, and so
now I get it. Now I get it. We don't really understand how
this thing works. I don't care what kind of ologists you are you're a
biologist. I get it, Like I know, you can teach the principles,
But the way that God puts life into these seeds and the way that
it springs up so it can be beneficial to the earth and to people and
to creatures, we don't really understand. But I think that's kind of the
way our faith works. That's kind of the way that the gospel, when
it's sown in the hearts of people works. We know that we've done the
right things. We know that this is a pathway to growth, but how
God actually does it, the jury is still out, okay, and so
there are some lessons I'd like to share with you as usual, okay.
So versus verse twenty seven, He goes to sleep and gets up night and
day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
This is beyond human sight. While we're resting, God is growing while
we're resting. The process is happening while we are resting. God does something
miraculous. So growth occurs beyond our sight or even our ability to see.
Here in verse twenty nine, and as soon as the grain is ripe,
he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come. It's time to harvest
the ripened grain or the crop. It's time to do that. The Gospel
or the Kingdom of God has an inevitable, inevitable conclusion. God is not
aimless with how he so seed like how I was. I just basically could
have closed my eyes and I'm flinging seed everywhere and whatever happens happens. No,
God is intentional. God has a specific outcome in mind. He has
a particular process in mind how he will accomplish his will in the lives of
every single individual who receives the seed. And so the Kingdom of God in
every aspect has an inevitable conclusion. Harvest. That's the conclusion. Harvest comes
for anybody who receives the seed with thanksgiving. Harvest comes at the appointed time,
just as the Kingdom of God will reach its fulfillment at the second coming
of Jesus Christ. And so small beginnings. We didn't read about the mustard
seed, but it is here in verses thirty one and thirty two. It
is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground or on the ground,
is the smallest of the seeds in the earth. But when it is
sown, It grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and
puts out large branches so that the birds of the sky can nest in its
shade. Small beginnings. When we yield our will to God, small beginnings
yield massive outcomes. Let me say it again, when we yield ourselves to
God, we yield our will to God. All beginnings yield massive outcomes.
So little as much when God is in it. Have you ever heard that
song little becomes much when it is placed in the Master's hand Ordinary people?
Look up the lyrics for that song, ordinary people. God chooses, He
uses ordinary people. He uses people just like me and you, who are
willing to yield to God's command people. God uses ordinary people. And so
we must not look at ourselves and have a misconception about who we are or
how we are. Whatever tiny little faith we have, whatever tiny what we
consider to be gifts that are tiny in our mindset, that we have,
whatever energy, tiny little energy that we have, whatever it is about us
that we give into the Master's hand, into God's hands, will miraculously grow
into a specimen of ministry. Remember that tree grows so that all kinds of
flying creatures can nest in its branches. Are you willing? Are you willing
to be a seed that God grows for the benefit of people? Are you
willing for God to grow you so that you can be a manifestation to others
who feel like that they're insignificant that wait a minute, If he can grow,
if she can grow, then so can I. Yeah. God is
so good. How good is he? He's willing to use you, He's
willing to use me to allow others to grow. Make it a wonderful day,
Peace, douch peace, Thanks for joining us listening. Friends. Always
remember we cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from
the mouth of God. This has been your daily portion with El David Harris.
Make it a great day. Yeah,