Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
I have never paid any attention to a mustard seed until I studied the Scriptural reference to it. I understand a mustard seed is very small, in fact it could be the smallest of all seeds! Yet, small as it is, it has the potential to grow to be a large tree. It has the potential to provide shelter to birds who needed a safe haven to build their nests for their young. It can grow in such a magnificent way because it contains the potential of life in it.
The Kingdom of God was described by Jesus as a mustard seed. Insignificant it may appear to be, it contains the Life of God. It therefore has the potential to grow into something proportionately extremely larger than its beginning. What is this mustard seed then? It is anything that is in line with God’s heart and His will as revealed by Him. Anywhere this is accepted, believed and acted upon, constitutes the sowing of the seed of the Kingdom. Given a conducive environment, it will surely grow because it contains life, and life begets life. It multiplies after itself.
This seed of the Kingdom will grow into a presence that will be felt and appreciated by many. It will become, or at the least, its influence will be visible to all. It provides shelter to the restful, homeless and listless. That’s in a nutshell, what the Kingdom should be. That is God’s will for all those who are called to come into His Kingdom. We will exhibit the same characteristics. Our lives as Christians, as the disciples of Jesus are meant to be a blessing to others.
Start sowing whatever that is in accordance to God’s heart and will as revealed by Him today, in whatever garden that God is working in. However small a sowing we feel it is, if it is of God, you can be sure it will grow and impact so many lives, including yours! That’s the nature of the Kingdom of God!
So, do not despise small beginnings! (Zechariah 4:10)