Words from the Rock
God’s kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it.
Matthew 13:31–32 Message
Most versions of the Bible call this the mustard seed faith parable. But the Message uses a pine nut to describe faith. If you’ve ever made pesto sauce, you know that a pine nut is pretty small (and tasty). Yet it’s capable of growing into an enormous tree.
If you think about it—really consider the fact that the insignificant pine nut contains the “magical” ingredients to transform itself into a towering pine tree—it’s nothing short of miraculous. That is exactly the way Jesus describes faith in God’s kingdom. It starts out small, then grows into the biggest thing imaginable.
Think about your own life. Do you remember when you first put your trust in God? How big was your faith compared to the size of God’s kingdom? Did it resemble an insignificant pine nut next to a majestic pine tree? Or maybe you haven’t even taken that step yet. Maybe your faith seems impossibly small and you’re fairly certain it could never grow into anything. But if you have just that tiny bit of faith, and if you plant that faith by asking Jesus to come into your life and to begin building his kingdom inside your heart, it will grow.
Most people come to God with all sorts of doubts and questions, and their faith feels puny and weak at first. But over time, and with God’s help, faith grows, and eventually it’s transformed into the most enormous thing in the universe—God’s kingdom.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Help me to recognize the huge potential that you’ve planted inside of me—my faith in you and your kingdom! Help my faith to grow and to strengthen.
Amen.
Final Word
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 NASB
Stone for the Journey
My faith in God’s kingdom is growing daily.