Tom preaching in an open air meeting in India.

By Tom Shanklin

“And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.” Mark 4:30-32, KJV.

Our heavenly Father is the master of using small things to produce great results. When He saw the great needs of humanity, He planted a small seed—a baby in a manger. The world would not think much of a small child born in a barn to a poor girl in Israel 2,000 years ago, but now multiplied millions of lives have been changed as a result of that small, seemingly insignificant beginning.

The Kingdom of God is like a seed. When it is planted it is so very small, yet with God’s power it becomes great. That’s what Christmas is—a small seed producing great results.

In the same way your life can produce great results through the small things that you do. It may be a timely financial gift or a kind word spoken in due season or even a choice made in the quietness of your heart that is reflected in your daily life. Or it may be one sentence spoken to a child at just the right moment that impacts their life forever.

We have seen the results of small seeds—like the seed sown by a businessman named Edward Kimble, who in 1885 nervously shared the Gospel with a shoe salesman in Chicago, Illinois. That seed grew. The shoe salesman received Christ and became one of the world’s greatest evangelists. His name is D.L. Moody and his ministry has left an indelible imprint upon the world today.

Or William Carey, who planted a small seed in the form of a sermon to his fellow ministers at Nottingham, England, challenging them concerning the need to reach the unsaved multitudes around the world with the Gospel of Christ. At first it seemed that nothing was to come of Carey’s passionate sermon, but at last the ministers voted to establish the Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Among the Heathen. This was the beginning of the modern missionary movement, which has brought Christianity to multiplied millions all around the world.

I want to encourage you today! Have faith in the seed! Have faith in the small things that you do, that God will use them to produce great results. Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:20, KJV.

Yes, God does miracles through seeds, whether it be a small boy’s lunch which fed 5,000 people, or some flour and oil used to feed a prophet which was supernaturally multiplied and supplied food for a widow during a famine, or the life of Jesus, like a seed falling into the earth and dying, only to grow and produce an eternal harvest of gigantic proportions.

Do you want to see great things? Plant a seed of love in the lives of those around you—in your grandchildren, your co-workers, your neighbors. Plant a seed to meet a need! It may be small, but planted in faith it will produce great results.

We’re Thankful for the Seeds You’ve Planted

We’re thankful for the seeds that have been planted into this ministry to help us preach the Gospel. It is not an insignificant thing that you have partnered with us to take the Gospel to the world.

I have been heartened so far by the prayers and financial support for our upcoming mission to India from friends, partners and from churches. We have received finances for my airplane ticket and expenses while in India. We still need funds for the open air crusade and pastors conference. We were blessed by the Country Church in Ruthton, Minnesota, where I preached in November. They held a Saturday night prayer meeting for our India mission. What a blessing to see local churches connect with world missions! The results are very powerful. Like the church at Antioch in Acts 13, which came together in prayer and listened to the voice of God and sent Paul and Barnabus to evangelize, the local church can be a birthplace for missions, both to the local area and to the far reaches of the world.

If you’d like to help with our outreach to India, you can donate for our mission to India here.

Thank you for your part in this ministry. Susan and I are praying for you everyday, that God’s will and His work will be completely manifested in your life. Be blessed this Christmas!