Last week we looked at the wisdom necessary to interpret and discern God’s intention within our happenings. This was for us to see that the reason we need to read the scriptures is to have the knowledge that God is working so that we can rejoice in Him and His work - even in the midst of the most difficult times - it is of the utmost importance for us to know this truth as it can change our perspective and perception of what’s going on around us. James 1:2-5 “but he must ask in faith”
But, the call to wisdom shows us that knowing the truth of His intentions, is not enough, it’s not. But, even more so, we need the wisdom to see God’s hand at work and then the faith and courage to join Him in the work He is (already) doing and what it all means.
Wisdom allows not just to know, but to know AND experience, close at hand, with Him, Him.
It is good to know that God is at work, but if we were to only “know” the truth of the fact that He is working, because we see in the word, that it says that that’s true... great…
We have to understand that to read the word is one thing, to engage with God through the word by His indwelling Spirit is another.
It is in this interaction of the “3 of us” that we actually meet and interact with Jesus allowing Him to impact our lives - mind, heart and spirit - in such a way as to experience Him, to hear His voice, to be affected by His grace, to grow in Him, wisdom, and experience His peace.
This does not just happen. It takes effort.
He’s put in the effort, the intentionality, time and persistence… consistency, the want and the willingness.
Now He asks us to do the same - to go from mere knowing about, to daily, getting to know, Him. “Yes, this takes faith… that of a mustard seed, Jesus said so”.
But, he also said two other things regarding that mustard seed:It was planted as part of a gardenIt would grow to be the largest of all garden plants Bonus info: He seemed to expect that seed to grow into what it was planted to be and do
Luke 17:1-6; Luke 13:18:21
What’s the point? The exhortation?
-Seeds in garden have everything in it to become what was intended by the Master gardener - so that work has been done by the Maker of the seed - trust that to be true
And that’s great, it really is, but...
-There’s work to be done - gardens don’t just happen - and we are the apprentice gardeners
God’s a gardener, He made us to be gardeners -
Genesis 1:29-31; 2:1-16
-Remember, the seed represents (my) the kingdom, my faith, God’s grace, not “me”
-God made and planted the seed, it is mine to join in the cultivating
And the truth of this seed, the kingdom, and its growing has to two truths in it:
-That It is so of the kingdom’s movement, that it began with one man, and then 12 and has now filled the world, and in the end, fill everything
-But, it is also so of us, in each one of us. That the kingdom in us grows, as our faith and grace in us grows and permeates us, we cannot contain it, it eventually leaks out of us, from our heart to the heart of another… and that is how the kingdom grows in us, through us
But again, this doesn’t just happen. The seed is planted by God, but there is work to be done - God’s work, with our hands - cultivating the garden, growing the kingdom.
So, as we make the effort to look for, listen to, seek out, and engage with God in word, prayer, service and fellowship, we begin to grow in wisdom, more able to see AND realize the meaning of the truth we read, we now begin to know.
Just as it is one thing to know something about someone, it is not until we have taken the time and made the effort to engage with them that we see the truth of the thing that we had heard and “knew” before, but now having seen it, having experienced it, we now know that what we knew about them, IS the truth, it was true of them.
Even if before we might believe what we had heard was true, it wasn’t really true until what? We saw it, experienced it, with them, for ourselves.
So it is with God, in Christ, by the Spirit, through the word. Don’t take my word for this! Come and see…
John 1:29; 41 “...where are you staying? Come and see, Jesus replied”
John 4:28-30; 39-42 the woman at the well knew about the messiah, the Christ, and knew to be looking, but, now that she had met Him…
-And the kingdom grew in her
-And into others…
James 1:5-6 5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
What promotes the growth of our faith? What enables us to grow in confidence? What helps us grow in trust?
This is what Peter now is trying to express to us - he’s joining James in saying something “don’t just hear the word… make every effort to do it, experience it, experience Him - to cultivate with the Gardener, the garden of our relationship with the Gardener, Jesus… He did, He is, so can you!”
2Peter 1:1-14
