His Glory Fills the Earth
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Psalm 72:18-19
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen and Amen!
Romans 11:33-36
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.
Mark 4:26-29
26. And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, 27. and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
Do these three scripture “go together?” I started out discovering Mark 4:26-29, and learned from my bible notes that this parable is only in Mark—none of the other gospels. I had saved the Romans and Psalm 72 subscription receipts from previous days, not sure why, but I guess it was to use for today!
I really liked this parable in Mark. For some reason, I was comforted by it. It relates how Jesus’ message started out only being announced in a few places—pretty insignificant beginnings. But throughout the past 2000+ years, it has spread and been broadcast far and wide! That’s the explanation in my bible notes. I was comforted by these verses, because they reminded me that everything has a time and place in God’s world. We don’t need to understand why the seed grows – it’s not possible to explain it. We know how—but not why—it's a miracle. We go on about our lives, and the seed grows into a sprout, then is fully mature, then is harvested. I guess Ecclesiastes came to mind – to everything there is a season.
The other two scripture excerpts expound upon Mark! God is so glorious, his mysteries so deep, his love so great, that he put everything in place for us to live! He has provided for us all we need, and all we must do is take advantage of his provisions. That gives me great comfort today. He gives us the foundation, and we build upon it. He provides the seed and the why—we provide the harvest and the how.
I hope this doesn’t sound too far-fetched! But it all flows together for me. There is a certain order in the world this morning. A certainty of God’s design. Wars are being raged. Sickness is inevitable. Sin is part of the human condition. But God created it all. He empowers us to end wars. He has given us knowledge to cure so many diseases. And he has already forgiven us even before we commit a sin—through the gift of his beloved and perfect son.
I can’t help but feel that no matter what happens today, God is in heaven and is working out his salvation in me.
I hope you find comfort in the how of God’s plan, and can marvel at the why. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen and Amen!
Mary
