June 20

Dropping Seeds

All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. — Mark 4:28 BSB

Many great blessings can be traced back to very small beginnings. A woman whose name is forgotten once dropped a tract or small book where Richard Baxter found it. He read it, and it led him to Christ. Baxter became a devoted Christian and wrote a book called A Call to the Unconverted, which brought many people to the Saviour, including Philip Doddridge. Doddridge, in turn, wrote The Rise and Progress of Religion, which led many more to Christ, including William Wilberforce. Wilberforce then wrote A Practical View of Christianity, which saved a multitude of people, including Legh Richmond. Richmond, in turn, wrote The Dairyman’s Daughter, which has been instrumental in the conversion of thousands.

The act of dropping that one little tract seemed insignificant, but see what a wonderful, many-branched tree has sprung from it! This is just one example of the incredible grace that can come from the smallest seeds of heavenly truth. A single seed planted in a heart, perhaps by some humble worker who is unaware of its significance, can not only save a soul but may also set off a chain of divine influence that reaches thousands of others. Simon Peter’s brother simply invited him to meet Jesus—and what a tree grew from that seed!

Let us continue each day, dropping seeds into as many hearts as we can. We may not always see the immediate results, but any one of those seeds may lead to a history of blessing that touches thousands of lives. The branches of the tree that grows from just one seed can spread across the world.