Word As Seed

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.” (Isaiah 55:10-13, NIV)

The cycle of winter, spring, summer, fall, and winter again keeps repeating in an unending pattern. The falling rains and melting snows water the earth. However, without seeds, what good is it all? Perennial plants cannot grow without water, either. God started everything out right in the Garden of Eden. Prolific vegetation, surrounded on all sides by great rivers delivering not only abundant water but rich sediment to enrich the soil, the living garden in which Adam and Eve found themselves was a literal paradise of provision for their every need.

Around 3,300 years after Adam and Eve, God gave this insight to Isaiah quoted above from chapter 55 of Isaiah, indicating that God is still in the business of providing life’s essentials to His creation. But in this passage, He added a profound new depth to our understanding of His providence. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, …, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater so is my word that goes out from my mouth.” This takes us from the realm of gardening and growing food into the rich provision of God’s word where He relays amazing promises for our lives. As spiritual creatures, we are in need of His guidance, His powerful promises of abundant and eternal life, and a profound relationship with our loving and caring Creator.

He said that His word “will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” This is a glimpse of the creative power of His every word to us and through every word of His prophets throughout history. What is this purpose he promises that His word will accomplish? “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.” Although these times in which we find ourselves do not sound very much like what this statement describes, He promises a robust, explosive counterpoint to the turmoil that seems to be approaching from every side. Make no mistake about what is about to happen. Do not rest easy in the assumption that the powerful forces that are reshaping our country and culture right before our eyes will not reach us or affect us. Look closely at this part of our passage: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” Joy does not always mean happy. A simple example of this is found in a Christian funeral. While we rejoice at a brother or sister in Christ going home to heaven, we still grieve at the loss in our lives here on earth. The tide of political, social, and cultural change headed our way might seem like an avalanche destined to overwhelm and crush us. But it does not have to trap us. We will GO OUT in joy! We will be LED FORTH in peace! That latter part, being led forth, implies that God Himself will be with us through it all!

God’s very creation will also become part of the celebration of His grace and glory. “The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” What an amazing vision of nature: Mountains and hills singing, trees applauding God’s deliverance, power and love. And we are the beneficiaries of all of this, even under the most severe and trying times that may be headed our way.

Finally, “Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.” The LORD’s renown, everlasting sign, will not be destroyed. These are words of permanence, eternal permanence. We, His children, are not going anywhere!