Sharing in Miracles

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground…and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.”    —Mark 4:26-27

I watched a miracle happen again this spring. On Memorial Day, we do a blitz-garden each year. I had already rototilled the ground and fertilized between tillings. With all the seeds, plants, and onion sets prepared for planting, we planted the entire garden in an hour or two on Memorial Day morning. It’s not a huge garden, but we do have two rows of potatoes and five rows of corn.

This year, God sent a beautiful, soaking rain soon after our planting blitz. If you remember, it then turned very hot for the rest of the week. By the next Monday, a miracle had occurred. The sprouts from all the seeds had pushed up through the surface of the soil. Here is the miracle: I cultivate the ground; I fertilize; and I plant (even water on occasion when necessary); but only God can send the rain. Only God can send the sun. And only God can cause the dried and wrinkled seeds to sprout into new life. After my part is done, I can only wait, watch, and believe.

Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a farmer planting crops. “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how” (Mark 4:26-27). Just as the germination of seeds and growth of plants is a miracle of God happening right before our eyes so sowing seeds in the Kingdom of God also reaps amazing, supernatural results. Every person offering a prayer in faith shares in the miracle God brings. Every act of kindness that softens a hardened heart shares in the salvation story of that individual. Every word of testimony or silent life of witness shares in saving those who believe.

God has blessed every believer with the privilege of sharing in His work. Paul, writing to the Corinthians about competition between preachers, said, “We are God’s Fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9). As Christians, we merely do our part, but God must give the increase. Only God can do the miraculous. Paul says that he planted; Apollos watered; but God worked the miracle of saving lost souls (1 Cor. 3:5-8).

I am still amazed how God causes plants to grow up from dried seeds, but I am even more amazed how God uses us in His Kingdom to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Lord told the believers gathered in the Upper Room just before His Ascension that they would be His witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. As the Holy Spirit descended upon them in power, they burst the doors open and began to proclaim the saving power of Jesus Christ to the entire world. Acts 2 describes the results, “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (vs. 43). “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (vs. 47b).

Have you shared in a miracle lately? If you want to see one in the garden, you must turn over some ground and plant some seeds. If you want to share in the miracle of another’s salvation, you must sow some seeds of prayer, outreach, and witness. Then, wait, watch, and believe for the miracle God is about to do.