Daily Devotional for January 29, 2021
Worth the Wait
“Hey, Dad,” said Bailey one day as she scrolled through a gardening website. “There’s a section in here called ‘Unusual Seeds.’ Can we order some?”
“What kind did you have in mind?” asked Dad.
“Ginseng,” said Bailey. “Is that okay? This website says it’s so valuable, its dried roots will sell for a lot of money in health food stores.”
Dad looked at the web page. “I don’t know. Those seeds cost a lot, and I think I’ve heard they take a long time to come up and grow—maybe even a year or more. Don’t you think you’d rather have something you’d see sooner?”
Bailey shrugged. “Well, maybe…but most of the stuff we plant will grow faster, and I’d like to try growing something different too. Even if just a few of the seeds grow, they could be worth a lot of money. Besides, you always say anything worth having is worth waiting for.”
“I guess you’ve got me there,” said Dad. “Okay, include ginseng in our order.” He grinned. “But promise me you’ll wait a little more patiently for that to come up than you’re waiting for the seed you planted last night to show results.”
“Last night?” Bailey wrinkled her eyebrows. “I didn’t plant anything last night.”
“Sure you did,” said Dad. “I heard you and your friend Eli talking about God. Eli seemed to think a loving God would allow everyone into heaven, and you told him he needed Jesus to get there.”
Bailey frowned. “Yeah, but Eli still doesn’t think God will refuse to let him in because of his sin. He’ll probably never change his mind.”
“Every time we witness—that is, tell someone about Jesus and what He’s done to save us—we’re planting the seed of God’s Word,” said Dad. “And like I said, we have to be patient and not be discouraged if we don’t see immediate results. Sometimes it takes a long time for that seed to grow. But when it does, it produces fruit that lasts forever.”
“And that’s worth the wait, right?” Bailey asked.
“Definitely!” said Dad. “After you plant your ginseng, let’s pray and ask God to make the seeds you planted grow—both in the ground and in Eli’s heart.” • Lorna B. Marlowe
How about you?
Have you planted the seed of the gospel by telling someone about Jesus? Have you been discouraged because you haven’t seen any results? Be patient. Keep showing that person God’s love and praying for them, and leave the timing up to God. It may be that you won’t ever see the results, but He promises that His Word will accomplish its purpose. Trust Him, and keep planting.
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