A seed is planted. It gets just enough attention from the Farmer to sprout, and from the day this new life begins, it is a constant struggle. You see, there is no chance for this sprout to survive unless it pushes and strives through the dirt and mire of this earth, until if finally breaks through the crust and feels the sun pouring light and life down into it. It must push, and push, and push…never stopping its reach for the heavens.
Some seeds never sprout, even under similar conditions to those that do. Some sprout, but never make it to sunlight, and eventually die still trapped in the earth. But those that do sprout, and never stop pushing up; never let the rocks and hard crust stop their journey; never cease their striving for the sun they so desperately need; these will eventually break through the surface and live in the light.
Paul speaks of a similar struggle that we go through in our lives:
For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. (Romans 7:19)
We are like the sprout, surrounded by dirt, yet striving for the sun. We are covered by this flesh that constantly wars against us.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. (Romans 7:21)
The sprout must first break through its own shell, at which point we see life emerge. But this is not the end, but just the beginning, of the battle! Now, to truly flourish, there is a long, hard fight to slowly push through the earth that does not end until the moment the once lifeless seed breaks forth out of the earth and into the light!
We too, must not believe that our initial salvation experience is the end of the battle. We must continually strive for the Son – reaching and pushing through this earth to find His Light! Even the mature and strong plants never stop reaching for the light; nor should we ever stop reaching for it! The reward is not only to live forever in the Light, but to help the Gardener produce a great crop!
There are clods in our way. There are rocks and weeds trying to stop us and choke us out. There are times when the Light seems like a distant memory or dream that we only imagined we could ever reach. We must never stop pushing! Keep moving up, through this earth and into the Light! And once we get a glimpse of the Light, we must be like the sunflower, and constantly move and bend to keep facing the Light, no matter where He leads us.
Be a Son Flower – as a Son Follower!