To be vulnerable, while writing what you are about to read, I found myself encouraged and equipped by what God revealed to me through today’s scriptures.

There are 2 parables in today’s scripture reading, but I think God really wants us to focus on “The Parable of the Mustard Seed.”

Have you ever had the thought or the feeling that you just didn’t have enough to offer? I have. I still do sometimes. The root of those thoughts for you may be different, but mine are often rooted in me expecting myself to be perfect or at least more perfect than I have been at any given moment.

But the truth is that Jesus doesn’t require us to bring any more than we have in order to be faithful and follow Him. Now, this doesn’t mean that following Jesus and being faithful in your life will always be easy, but as you do it be reminded that you only have to bring what you have. In your friendships, you don’t have to have all the answers or always have the perfect thing to say. Bring what you have. At work, you may not have all the answers all the time, but bring what you have to the table and trust that God can work with that. With your family, don’t focus on what you don’t have or who you’re not. Be who you are, bring what you do have, and trust that God will do the rest.

The list can go on and on, but just like the mustard seed that grows into a tree when it is tended to by God, bringing what you have to the table, even if it is the size of a mustard seed, provides God with the opportunity to turn what you have into something beautiful and life-giving for those around you.

It doesn’t have to be the same as somebody else. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It can be as small as a mustard seed. Bring what you have and trust God with the rest.

Reflection:

• Identify that seemingly small mustard seed act that you believe God is wanting you to be obedient with today. Write it down, and then I challenge you to do it. Not perfectly, but with what you have. And when you think of the next one, do that one too. Then keep doing that. If you do, then one day you’ll be able to look back and see a large tree of God’s faithfulness in your life that He built through you bringing your mustard seed to the table time and time again.
• Prayer: Pray this prayer however you see fit. If it helps you, write it down. That often helps me. “God, thank You for not expecting perfection from me. Thank You for reminding me that You don’t ask me to be anybody other than me and that You don’t expect me to be perfect. Help me to be faithful with what I have today, and help me to trust You with the things that are out of my control. We love You and we’re thankful for You. Amen.”

Family Application: Resting in God’s Orchard

Author: Scott Strahan

• You may know people who think Jesus and going to church are not all that important. Often, the things we think are unimportant are the things we understand the least. As we learn and understand more about them, we realize they are more important than we first thought. Long ago, Jesus knew this would be the way people thought about the kingdom of God – that it’s not very important. This is why He compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which is about the size of a large grain of sand. It seems insignificant, but it is not and here’s why:
• Although it is extremely small, the mustard seed can grow into a tree that is 6 – 8 feet tall, which provides a home for birds. This may not seem like a big deal, but the tree is very important to the bird. It provides a place of rest and shelter from the sun and wind. It protects the bird from predators. It provides a home, a place for laying eggs and raising a family of baby birds. The tree is a source of food for birds, other animals, and humans. Insects and worms that often live in trees are food to the birds. So not only does the bird benefit from the tree, but the tree is necessary for the bird’s survival, so it really is important!
• So too is the kingdom of God to us as followers of Jesus. God is our refuge from trouble and danger; not that God eliminates the trouble and danger, but He helps us as we deal with the problem. As we trust God, He guides us through situations with knowledge and wisdom that we do not have. He teaches us patience, which helps us trust Him even more. As we patiently trust God, we have peace and grow closer to Him. We can also share with others how they can trust in the goodness of God.
• Prayer: Read and pray Psalm 23