𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Would you consider yourself as a person with a “green thumb”? Why or why not?

• Not limited to finances, what would you consider as your biggest investment yet? How has this investment been profitable for you?

• What is one thing you are preparing for now? What are some of the things you’ve sacrificed for it?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

“𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦.” 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟴:𝟮𝟮

(Read also 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟲:𝟮𝟬-𝟮𝟮.)

God was grieved because of all the wickedness on earth. Only Noah and his family found favor in His eyes. Because of this, He told Noah to build a boat big enough to hold two of every kind of living thing because He was about to bring destruction on earth through a flood. But before the flood came, God also instructed Noah to take with him 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯 (Genesis 6:21). Even during a time of judgment, God secured the provision that would enable Noah to start all over again. The passage above is from God’s promise that He will never again destroy all the living things on the ground and that His provision 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦. God assured Noah that His purpose for man still stands and His unceasing provision comes with it. Though in the form of a seed, this provision would sustain them. Today, let’s look at some of the characteristics of the seed that God asked Noah to secure and store.

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹..

“𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦.” 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟴:𝟮𝟮

The seed may appear small and insignificant, but it has the power to endure every season. In spite of the tough external conditions it is exposed to, the seed will not lose its ability to grow and multiply. In the same way, if we are good stewards of the seed God gives us today, then it represents a season of harvest. We may be coming from a challenging situation, just like Noah. But we have the assurance that God will continually provide. It may be in the form of a seed, but we know that in His perfect time, it will bear fruit. How have you experienced the power of the seed in your life?

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲.

“𝘈𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱. 𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.” 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟲:𝟮𝟭

God specifically instructed Noah to store up on 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯. Bringing this “seed” into the ark only meant that they had to bring it out when the time came. We know that God provides our needs at the moment, but He has also made provision for our needs in the future. There are portions of His provision that we are to store. How do you apply this principle in your life?

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝘄.

“𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘐 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.” 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝟵:𝟯

The green plants God created have the ability to produce seeds and, therefore, multiply. But the seeds will not multiply on their own. They have to be planted in the right soil and receive nourishment. Planting a seed involves cultivating the soil and providing whatever it needs to grow. It also means trusting that God will make it grow and bring about a harvest. Because farmers know the importance of sowing, they choose the best seeds to sow, with the belief that the best seeds will produce the best harvest in the future. What does Proverbs 3:9–10 tell us about using all that God gives us in a way that honors Him?

God’s promise is that seedtime and harvest will not cease (Genesis 8:22). This is God’s way for His provision to continue until the end of time. The seed represents God’s provision for us and we are to faithfully steward this by storing and using it according to God’s principles and for the purpose of honoring Him.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• How do you respond in times of difficulty? Have you experienced an inability to act because of fear? Ask God to show you how you can respond in faith when you experience situations like this.

• What passages of Scripture do you know about God’s provision? Write these down and what God is telling you through these passages.

• What practical things do you do to save and invest? What can you do to put the resources God has given you to good use?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His unceasing provision for you and your family. Pray for faith to look only to Him in all circumstances.

• Ask God to make you a good steward of everything He blesses you with. Ask God to mold your character so that you will not hold on to what you have, but that you would be generous in all occasions to accomplish His purpose for and through you.

• Pray for faith so that you can sow God’s provision in your life, with the expectation that God will bring an increase and cause what you sow to multiply.