our daily bread
Dexu Xia
Scattering Seeds
The seed falling on good soil . . . produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:23
I received a wonderful email from a woman who wrote, “Your mom was my first-grade teacher at Putnam City in 1958. She was a great teacher and very kind, but strict! She made us learn the 23rd Psalm and say it in front of the class, and I was horrified. But it was the only contact I had with the Bible until 1997 when I became a Christian. And the memories of Mrs. McCasland came flooding back as I re-read it.”
Jesus told a large crowd a parable about the farmer who sowed his seed that fell on different types of ground—a hard path, rocky ground, clumps of thorns, and good soil (Matt. 13:1–9). While some seeds never grew, “the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it” and “produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (v. 23).
During the twenty years my mother taught first grade in public schools, along with reading, writing, and arithmetic she scattered seeds of kindness and the message of God’s love.
Her former student’s email concluded, “I have had other influences in my Christian walk later in life, of course. But my heart always returns to [Psalm 23] and [your mom's] gentle nature.”
A seed of God’s love sown today may produce a remarkable harvest.
Lord, today I want my life to sow good seeds in those around me. Help me to give out what You have put into me.
We sow the seed—God produces the harvest.
撒种
撒在好地上的，-……后来结实，有一百倍的，有六十倍的，有三十倍的。-马太福音13章23节
有位女士寄给我一封极富意义的电子邮件，她这样写道：“令堂是我1958年在蒲兰市小学一年级的老师，她是位好老师，很善良，也很严格！她要我们学习诗篇23篇，然后在课堂上朗诵，当时我真是吓坏了。但是，在1997年我成为基督徒之前，这是我唯一读过的圣经经文。如今，每当重读这首诗篇，当年与麦老师有关的回忆就会涌上心头。”
耶稣曾对众人讲了一个比喻，提到一个农夫出去撒种，这些种子分别落在道路旁、石头地、荆棘丛和好土里（马太福音13章1-9节）。有些种子永远不会发芽生长，但是“撒在好地上的，就是人听道明白了，后来结实，有一百倍的，有六十倍的，有三十倍的”（23节）。
我母亲在公立学校教书二十年，她教导小学一年级的孩子们读书、写作和算术，散播仁爱的种子和上帝慈爱的信息。
在这封电子邮件的末了，这位女士还提到：“当然，在后来的基督徒生活中，我也会受到其他人的激励。但是，诗篇23篇和麦老师温柔的特质，却总是铭刻在心。”
今日撒下上帝爱的种子，可能会结果累累。
主啊！我愿一生殷勤地散播美好的种子。
求祢帮助我，能将生命中圣灵所结的果子传递出去。
我们撒种，上帝使其开花结果