Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11
About seven years ago, I began a new walk with God. It was a journey of intense training and reorientation, one that radically transformed me. It was at the early stages of this new journey that I was prompted to start blogging. I did not know that the blog would document my journey with God. Even though I was not as consistent as I should have been, I am so grateful for the blog and the impact it has had on my life and the lives of many others. As I look back today, I realize that all this began at a time in my life when I wanted to quit going to church.
Right from my pre-teen days, I had enjoyed attending and serving in church. It was a big part of my life. But then adulthood came and somewhere along the line, I became dissatisfied with the outcome of my life. The discrepancy between my expectations, the promises of God, and my reality was now too much. I started having questions but could not find satisfying answers. Where are all the promises I had been told will manifest in my life when I seek God first? Where is the abundant life? Where are all the other things that should be added? Disappointed, offended, angry, and more would be a good description of the emotions I felt at those times.
Even though I often thought about leaving church, I had known God too much to walk away. I did stay in church but I could no longer continue with the motions of Christianity as I once did. I no longer wanted to continue doing the same things that have not yielded any significant results in my life. After seeking answers with no satisfactory responses, I finally turned to God. I had an honest conversation with Him where I poured out my heart, I told Him my frustrations, my pain, my failed expectations, and more. I spoke to Him like He was seated next to me, on the same couch. When I was done, all I heard was “Would you let me fix it?”. God was not angry at me despite all I had said, I felt the warmth of His embrace in that moment. And I said yes, yes Lord I’ll let you fix it.
Surrender: God showed me that He has a wonderful life planned out for me but to embrace this life I would need to let go of the life I planned out for myself. His plan was great but not detailed in the beginning. All He gave was His word, a promise of this beautiful life. I decided to take the risk, let go of my plans and expectations, and take God at His word. It took a while to surrender but I stayed committed to learning and letting go.
There is no harvest without seeds: After I decided to take God at His word and embrace His not-so-detailed plan for my life, He started teaching me about His word as a seed. He said, all you desire is a harvest, but there is no harvest without planting the seed of my word in your heart. Then the journey of planting and cultivating that seed began. This blog was born at this point on my journey. And for the past seven years, I have been cultivating one promise God gave me. Every blog post has been a product of cultivating that one promise. A journey I will never forget. I would never have imagined that it would take years to cultivate just one promise before getting to the harvest. But like in agriculture the timelines would vary based on the seed, sometimes it takes days, weeks, months, or years to see the harvest of a seed sown.
These two lessons marked the beginning of my journey, but there was much more along the way. Some lessons were intense but God saw me through. I am so excited to finally come into the harvest of this promise that was once a seed. I’m in awe at what God has done. He has fulfilled His promise to me and exceeded my expectations. He has lifted me to heights I could not have even imagined.
As I reflect on this journey, I can see that my frustration, pain, failed expectations, and disappointment in God were a product of the absence of light accompanied by religion. While I was angry at God that my life was unproductive and lacked results, while I thought He had forgotten me and chose not to bless me regardless of my commitment to serving Him, little did I know that He had given me all I needed in the word but I did not know how to translate it. Light is what I did not have. Light is what God brought to me. Light is what has transformed my life.
As I continue to press into God, contending for greater illumination and intimacy, I recognize the grace, anointing, and burden on my heart to bring the Light of God’s word to my generation. Especially to those who might still be in a place of dissatisfaction, discontentment, confusion, depression, or disappointment like I was years ago. Isaiah 60:1 ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you–rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! – This is my new assignment, to bring light that causes men to arise and be all God has called each one to be. There is no rising without light. There is no victory without light.
I’m not sure how the new assignment of being a light bearer would unfold, but it is humbling and exciting to come full circle. To look back at when I started to plant and cultivate a promise with the help of the Holy Spirit, to a time when I stepped into the harvest. Indeed I can say God helped me plant, cultivate and reap the harvest.
To everyone who has been a part of this journey, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for reading, sharing your comments, sharing the blog post, and for every encouragement. God bless you and I pray that you continue to stay committed to cultivating His word in all areas of your life.
To someone still waiting on the harvest, be encouraged. God’s word works and your harvest will exceed your expectations. Don’t give up on that which God has promised you. Hold on to it, tend it, water, weed, and cultivate it, your harvest is sure. You too will come full circle in due season.
Love Always
Obebi
