Nature goes her way, and all that to us seems an exception is really according to order. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24 NAS)
These words spoken by Jesus and recorded by the apostle John were in reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus Himself. Their meaning has a much broader understand than just His trip to the cross and His victory over death. The literal meaning in referring to a seed, its germination and the fruit, stand true in science. Also in our lives at times we must completely die out to something before we can grow and produce fruit. This morning as I read this scripture verse it wasnt the thought of dying out or the thought of rebirth that stuck in my spirit, but the words it remains alone. Remaining alone is another way of describing the spiritual sickness called isolation. Isolation can become very comfortable and I had to work at overcoming this self-centered defect of character. I remember a time in 1991 when I was trying to say sober and drug free on my own, and my wife was not. Life was not good for either of us and she left me and moved to town. I was hurt and just didnt feel like talking to many people. I can remember that when I would return home from work I would lock the gate and just sit and sulk. I would not die out and accept the fact that things in my life had changed. This was the start of my periods of isolation that went on for the next five years. There were times I would lock my gate and not see or talk to anyone for days. The result was no growth, none whatsoever. As a matter of fact any progress that I had made in the eight years before as a believing Christian faded away in my isolation. I was like a seed that was buried in the ground that refused to let its hard outer shell be softened by the rain of everyday life. Old hard-hearted Jerry just sat there and suffered with my drugs and alcohol. They had become my everyday companions. Ah but God. God never gives up on any of us. From time to time someone would enter into my isolation and with a hammer of love, chip away at my hard outer shell. As little pieces of self were chipped away they would die. Today I am a new living being rooted in the Word of God, and watered by the love of those who help me not be isolated. Even in my times of solitude I am not alone anymore. I enter into solitude with the presence and comfort of God in my heart. I dont want to go back to being alone. How selfish that is! Share with me what the Dake Bible has to say on this verse.
Many elements of mystery surround the death and resurrection of any seed. We believe a dead grain multiplies itself and we are nourished by its multiplications, but we cannot understand how it is done. We cannot tell how one grain becomes multiplied into many, how the earth, air, water, and sunshine co-operate together to create a new life. We believe it, not because we understand it, but because it produces results. If we cannot explain and fully understand these earthly things of one little seed why do we have to understand the infinite purposes and works of God in redeeming men through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ before we believe? (Dake Bible, page 109)
Today may we, by the grace of God, grow, and help someone else in the process. God has truly done for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24 NAS)
These words spoken by Jesus and recorded by the apostle John were in reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus Himself. Their meaning has a much broader understand than just His trip to the cross and His victory over death. The literal meaning in referring to a seed, its germination and the fruit, stand true in science. Also in our lives at times we must completely die out to something before we can grow and produce fruit. This morning as I read this scripture verse it wasnt the thought of dying out or the thought of rebirth that stuck in my spirit, but the words it remains alone. Remaining alone is another way of describing the spiritual sickness called isolation. Isolation can become very comfortable and I had to work at overcoming this self-centered defect of character. I remember a time in 1991 when I was trying to say sober and drug free on my own, and my wife was not. Life was not good for either of us and she left me and moved to town. I was hurt and just didnt feel like talking to many people. I can remember that when I would return home from work I would lock the gate and just sit and sulk. I would not die out and accept the fact that things in my life had changed. This was the start of my periods of isolation that went on for the next five years. There were times I would lock my gate and not see or talk to anyone for days. The result was no growth, none whatsoever. As a matter of fact any progress that I had made in the eight years before as a believing Christian faded away in my isolation. I was like a seed that was buried in the ground that refused to let its hard outer shell be softened by the rain of everyday life. Old hard-hearted Jerry just sat there and suffered with my drugs and alcohol. They had become my everyday companions. Ah but God. God never gives up on any of us. From time to time someone would enter into my isolation and with a hammer of love, chip away at my hard outer shell. As little pieces of self were chipped away they would die. Today I am a new living being rooted in the Word of God, and watered by the love of those who help me not be isolated. Even in my times of solitude I am not alone anymore. I enter into solitude with the presence and comfort of God in my heart. I dont want to go back to being alone. How selfish that is! Share with me what the Dake Bible has to say on this verse.
Many elements of mystery surround the death and resurrection of any seed. We believe a dead grain multiplies itself and we are nourished by its multiplications, but we cannot understand how it is done. We cannot tell how one grain becomes multiplied into many, how the earth, air, water, and sunshine co-operate together to create a new life. We believe it, not because we understand it, but because it produces results. If we cannot explain and fully understand these earthly things of one little seed why do we have to understand the infinite purposes and works of God in redeeming men through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ before we believe? (Dake Bible, page 109)
Today may we, by the grace of God, grow, and help someone else in the process. God has truly done for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
