by Marilyn Ehle
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
We often hear about “closed countries,” places where it seems impossible to openly share the good news of Jesus Christ. For over half a century such proclamation has been illegal in one country. Missionaries who brought both spiritual and physical healing were persecuted, banned or even killed. Local church leaders are consistently humiliated, threatened, persecuted, imprisoned. Discouragement can easily set in when repeated attempts to publicly speak about God, distribute Bibles or meet with other Christians are thwarted.
But God is faithful in His pursuit of people. Men and women who have had their lives eternally changed because of their faith in Christ obediently—and at great cost—follow Jesus’ command to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
Two such men became close friends after they were sentenced to long prison terms because of their faith. Due to their good conduct while in prison, they were increasingly given great responsibility. One man was placed in charge of pigs while the other worked in the apple orchards just outside the prison walls. Because of these jobs, the men had some contact with people living near the prison.*
Committed to the cause of Christ, the men used their “vocational opportunities” to plant churches in surrounding villages as they planted apple trees. Just as within one apple are enough seeds to produce many trees, these faithful men planted the seeds of the gospel. They did not seek to make their names known, but God has been making their efforts grow. Today small, vibrant, multiplying churches are alive and well.
Father, thank you that the harvested crop is your responsibility. You ask only that we be faithful in planting seeds.
*(As related by author David Aikman)
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2010/05/25/me_apple-trees/
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