Seeds

Carolyn Lewis
Posted 9/28/21

Recently my husband Toby and I visited Dick Young’s Apple Orchard in Lingle, Wyoming

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Seeds

Posted

Recently my husband Toby and I visited Dick Young’s Apple Orchard in Lingle, Wyoming. Over the past few years, he has planted many varieties of apples and also started grafts from some of the oldest apple trees in the area. There are many delicious varieties, as well as plum and pear trees that are producing delicious fruit. 

He explained to us that he does not use a lot of harmful sprays to keep the bugs away but uses some old-time remedies that do pretty well. But there are still a few bugs to damage some of the fruit. One bug in particular burrows in and eats the seeds out of the fruit. I’d never heard of that, and that comment stuck with me the next day as I was working up a devotion for our Tuesday morning ladies’ group at church.

As I thought about the seeds being destroyed, I realized that would eliminate any regeneration or reproduction for the plant involved. If the seeds were destroyed, there would be no new plantings of trees for the future and that variety of apple tree would be eliminated for good.

As I usually do, I began to relate that to my Spiritual life. God planted a seed in my life years ago, the knowledge that I needed Jesus in my life. As I learned who Jesus was, and realized that He had died for my sin, it wasn’t hard to realize that I was indeed a sinner and I wanted Him in my life to forgive me of my sin and to come into my life as my Savior. 

I did well for a few years and tried to keep up with learning about Jesus, but as the pressures of life got overwhelming, I didn’t take time for Jesus, I just kept trying to cope and keep up on my own. I would read books on self-help, and Eastern religions, and try some of their methods for coping; and, just as the bugs were eating away the seeds of the apples, those philosophies were eating away at my faith in Jesus. I didn’t take time to see what the Bible had to say about my problems, I was looking for a quick fix. I got to the place where I just wanted out, to not have to deal with things anymore. 

I had always enjoyed drinking and enjoyed meeting friends after work for a drink and lots of laughs, but the more problems I had the more I drank to try to block out the bad and not deal with it. That only served to make it worse and cause more problems.

It wasn’t until I realized that nothing would get better and fill that black hole that I knew was inside me until I invited Jesus in to fill it and to not only be Savior, but to be Lord of my life. I had never really made Him LORD of my life, and the place that He had once held in my heart was being eaten away by the bugs of earthly solutions that offer no help and lead us astray. I needed to give Him complete control of my life.

I got serious and met with the Lord again and prayed, O Lord, I am a sinner, and I realize that you died on that cross to not only save me and pay the price for my sin, but to give your life to help me and guide and direct my life. I ask you to come into my life and be Lord of my life, and I will follow you all the rest of the days of my life.

As I prayed that prayer, I meant every word of it. And I began to follow through and join a Bible study, go to retreats, and study daily and pray for God to guide me through the times we were going through. As I grew, God began to change me into the woman He intended me to be all along. I learned that through it all God will always be there, He has a purpose for me and my life, and He will guide and direct me through whatever comes our way.

The purpose of seeds is to regenerate, to reproduce, to give new life. That is what I want my life to do—reproduce other Christians, regenerate those who are being eaten away by life’s problems, to give new life and refresh those who are weary. Seeds have a purpose, just as we have a purpose. Seeds reproduce what they are meant to reproduce, so I must maintain my walk with God in such a way that my faith will be worthy to be reproduced in others. He will guide me as I live my life each day and show me what He has for me to do. 

Luke 8:11-15 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. And those on rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”