When God gives us a promise, or a vision of how things are going to be or what we’re going to do, there are stages we have to walk through. It can be helpful to think of it like the planting of a seed. When God gives us the vision, it’s like being given a seed. A seed is full of potential, but unless it’s buried and given the right amounts of sunlight and water, it will never reach that potential. So the seed has to be planted. This means the seed is placed in the darkness of the soil, hidden away. Sometimes when we’ve been given something by God, it needs to be hidden in our hearts for a while. God might need to do some preparation work in us before the seed can begin to develop. When the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see Jesus, they spoke of the amazing things they had seen and heard. The Bible tells us that: ‘Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart’ (Luke 2:19 NIV). And that’s what we need to do too. But it can be hard when nothing seems to be happening. In those times, we need to remember these words: ‘It is not yet time for the message to come true…It may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come.’ As the seed develops, it has to push through the soil towards the light, and root itself in the nutritious soil. If we’re persistent and make sure our roots are in Christ, the vision will come to fruition. The plant will flourish and grow, just as God intended it would.

What Now?

Plant a seed and then nurture it. Every time you water it, ask God to help you bring His vision and purpose for your life into fruition.