The Sower went forth to sow

In recent weeks I found out that my Pastor is going to leave our church, following the leading of the Lord.  In the weeks since it has been determined that the fledgling church can not survive the transition and will close by the end of the year.  Hearts are broken.  People are disappointed.  Many wonder how this could happen.  Wasn't the Lord in the original call to plant this church?  How could He let this happen?

In tossing this all around this week I was prompted to consider the following parable of the sower.  Jesus taught us about the sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8) who went out to sow seed.  Some fell on the path and was eaten by birds.  Some fell on hard ground and sprang up but died early.  Some fell in weeds and were choked out by them.  Other seed fell on good ground and produced "30, 60 even a 100 fold increase".

While we often get hung up on the increase 2 facts remain:  The key is that the sower went out to sow.  Without that nothing happens and the 2nd is almost as important but often overlooked;  The sower knew where he was sowing the seed.

Seed falling on the path or weeds or the rocky ground didn't surprise the sower.  He knew where he was sowing seed.  He knew the risks.  But to not sow seed in those areas was to restrict the opportunity.  And the opportunity is to all who will believe.

Perhaps our little church was on hard ground or in the weeds.  Regardless, salvation sprouted in the hearts of many in its short 4 year history and all those who shared in the ministry there were changed forever.  But it could not have happened had the Lord, our Sower, not gone out to sow seed.