“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” Isaiah 55:10-11.

God’s authoritative word caused all that is to come into existence (Genesis 1). The details are not given as to how, but we can speculate that the power of His spoken word moved atoms and molecules to form the material substance that is our natural world.

His spoken word continues to yield His purposes and plans. In Isaiah’s day, who could have imagined that God’s word would move the heart of a governmental leader so as to free His captive people to return to their homeland? What He wills to be done is accomplished in often surprising and wondrous ways.

God has a plan for His covenant people, the Jews and the nation of Israel. In the face of nearly impossible odds, this nation was reborn in 1948. Crisis and conflict loom large today for these people living in the land in unbelief. Unlikely as it may seem, the Father’s will is that they embrace in faith the Messiah they have so long rejected (Romans 11). It is reasonable to assume that even today His word is watering the hearts of these unbelievers so that the seed of faith might sprout and bear fruit.

Many of us involved in gospel work wonder about results. We seek to faithfully teach and share live-changing truth, but often it seem to fall on deaf ears. And while every person has a choice in their response, in no way is the impact of His word diminished. It is the same word that brought the visible creation into existence (Hebrews 11:3), and it will likewise accomplished His purposes.

We can plant a garden, but we cannot force seeds and plants to grow in the way and time we wish. There are natural cycles that God has predetermined. Imagine lamenting the lack of results one week after planting seeds! “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” Galatians 6:9. The Lord of the harvest will bring forth fruit from the seed sown.

The apostle Paul’s perspective is important and reassuring: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” 1 Corinthians 3:6. We may never know, this side of the kingdom, just how fruitful our work is. We may sow the seed of truth, but we cannot and do not have control over its destiny. May we be content to be faithful truth seed sowers, and rest assured that God is bringing forth the fruit He desires.

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