What fun! The family was having a contest to see who could guess how many seeds were in the 20-pound pumpkin that five-year-old Sally had grown that summer. Early in the spring each of the children had bought a seed packet for one cent. Sally’s packet contained one, large pumpkin seed, and she planted it. Her pumpkin vine grew and produced fruit - nice, big, orange pumpkins.
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He told a story about a farmer who planted lots of seeds. Some fell by the side of the road where the dirt was packed very hard. The birds ate those seeds, so they didn’t grow. Some fell on stony ground where they didn’t have much soil. They grew up quickly, but withered just as fast because they had no roots. Some fell among thorns that grew so large they choked the plants that came from the seeds. But some fell on good ground where they took root and produced fruit. Some of that fruit had 100 seeds, some 60 seeds, and some 30. The Lord Jesus explained to His disciples that the good seed was the Word of God, and the good ground was people who hear the Word of God and understand and believe it and in turn produce fruit for Him.
When we think of those seeds that grew into a plant producing fruit with 100 more seeds, that’s really quite a few, isn’t it? Now, how many seeds would you guess that 20-pound pumpkin would have inside it? The children guessed numbers like 35, 300, 400, and 500. Mom guessed 600. Do you think that was too many? She thought it was way too many, but she wanted one of the children’s smaller guesses to win.
The children were quite excited as they gathered around while their oldest brother cut the pumpkin open. Now they would see who guessed the closest.
Wow! There was a lot of pumpkin there, and lots of seeds too. They all reached into the center and began separating the seeds from the pulp. Each child who could count correctly began counting. They were only allowed to count fully formed seeds that could be planted to produce more pumpkins next year. The grand total was 745! You could have planted a whole field with that many seeds, so they saved a few to plant the next spring and roasted the rest for eating. They were yummy! The pumpkin meat was made up into delicious pies, muffins, bread and puddings and added to other foods. There was lots of fruit for the family from that one pumpkin.
But that wasn’t the only pumpkin from Sally’s vine. Up in the attic where they would keep cool were two more pumpkins. When the family opened the second one, they counted 601 seeds. The third one is still waiting inside its special orange package, its thick, round skin that God made to keep it fresh and good until it is needed.
Now, wouldn’t you like your life to produce fruit like that for God, who has done so much for you and me? He even sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for us so we could have our sins forgiven.
The Lord Jesus told His disciples how they could produce fruit. It was by hearing His Word and understanding it (Matthew 13:2323But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:23)). We hear God’s Word by prayerfully reading the Bible or by listening to other people truthfully explain it. We understand it when we allow the Spirit of God to teach us what it means. He can’t teach us if we’re always in a hurry. We must sit still, like Sally’s pumpkin seed in the soil. We can be like Mary (whom we read about in the Bible) who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what He said. Jesus told Mary’s sister, Martha, who was rushing around, that Mary had chosen the one thing that was necessary. Have you chosen that one thing? God knows there are other things we need in this life. He will take care of those for us. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things [food, clothing and shelter] shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:3333But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)).
ML-10/01/1995