Manna Moments

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From Seed to Harvest: The Process of a Promise

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

Death and multiplication seem to be a pattern we see throughout Scripture, yet so difficult at times to fully grasp in our daily lives.

The Word as Seed

Jesus often compares the seed to the Word. This Word can come in many forms: through reading Scripture, a sermon, observing nature (Rom.1:20), a conversation, even a dream or vision. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through anything. It’s a promise that the Holy Spirit wants us to hide in our hearts and not let it go.

The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 illustrates the various kinds of soil where the seed—the Word—may fall. If you haven’t read it recently, I encourage you to do so. In this blog, however, my focus is on what happens after the Word or promise given by the Holy Spirit has been received in your heart.

From Burial to Sprouting

Later in Matthew 13, Jesus explains that the seed falling on good soil produces a harvest. While this is true, the parable doesn’t detail the journey of the seed from burial to harvest. That process, however, is described by Jesus in John 12:24:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

It’s remarkable that Jesus compares the seed to a word, because a seed marks only the beginning of a greater process.

Death of the Word

First, we must embrace the promise and secure it within our hearts—this is the seed’s ‘burial.’ Next comes a stage that resembles death, as the seed loses its original form, splitting and transforming to make room for new life as a sprout.

This part of the word’s journey—the death process—is the toughest to go through. Every promise the Holy Spirit gives us has to face it, because it’s part of God’s divine order. Have you ever had God speak a promise, and then life seems to move in the opposite direction? That’s when doubt can sneak in and keep the seed from sprouting. In those moments, we need to respond like Mary did in Luke 2:19 - “But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Mary hoped* for and treasured these words spoken to her.

Jesus, the Living Example

The most powerful biblical example of this process is Jesus Himself—the Word made flesh—who died and was buried. His followers must have felt devastated, much like we do when circumstances seem to contradict God’s promises. Yet three days later He rose again, presenting the Firstfruits of a harvest to His Father.

Don’t lose heart, my friends. Keep hope alive by reminding yourself of His word, even in the darkest moments, so that the promise can come back to life and bear fruit.

*Faith is the substance of things hoped for (Heb.11:1).