The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6, ESV)

The dandelion is native to Australia. British botanists were fascinated by

it and brought back samples to England. In time, its seeds escaped the

greenhouses and spread all across the British countryside. Today, my

garden is awash with dandelions. The curious thing about this plant is

that every part of it is usable. Dandelions are used to make tea

“Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold,

some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:8, ESV)

Farrah Gray wrote, “Inside every seed is the potential for an incredible

harvest.” Was this ever truer than in Genesis 41:28–36? Joseph advised

Pharaoh that during the seven years of abundant harvest, 20% of the

crops should be gathered for storage to ensure there would be enough

food to survive the seven years of severe famine that would follow. That

20% that was set aside proved to be enough to not only feed Egypt for

seven years, but also the nations around them (Genesis 41:57). Imagine

that? A super provision with careful planning seemed to have exceeded

normal harvests over seven years!

My colleague once lived on a farm in Sparta, TN. One summer, the farmer

asked him to help plow a field and prepare it for a new planting. Over the

course of the summer, they prepared the field and sowed walnut saplings.

At the end of the summer, he said to the farmer, “I can’t wait until next

year when we eat those walnuts.” The farmer smiled and replied, “I doubt

I’ll be alive when those walnuts are ready for their first harvest.” Nelson

Henderson wrote, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose

shade you do not expect to sit.”

“I can count the seeds in an apple, but who can count the apples in a seed?”

In the 1800s, “mummy wheat” caused a stir in horticultural circles. It was

claimed that wheat seed found in Egyptian tombs successfully

germinated and produced wheat. Subsequent research debunked these

claims. The oldest germinated seed dates from the fall of Masada in the

first century A.D., which was found in the 1960s. It was successfully

germinated in 2005. The plant was called “Methuselah” and entered the

Guinness Book of World Records.

When I was studying in preparation for preaching, several classes

required us to answer the roll call with a memory verse. One student

quoted Luke 8:11 most weeks, “Now the parable is this: the seed is the

word of God.” (Luke 8:11, ESV). However, most weeks, he got it mixed up

and even reversed the Scripture reference. He tried hard on this verse, but

he couldn’t quite get it right. The mind needs preparation and cultivation

to provide an optimum result.

“You need to hurry up and finish getting ready; we’re running late.” Have

you heard those words before? Some people seem to habitually get ready

at the very last second or run behind regularly. Somehow, these folks

need to learn how to make preparations earlier and to stay focused. The

same is true when it comes to being ready for Jesus’ return. Jesus said in

Luke 12:40, “You also must be 

When was the last time you, having a specific experience, said, “If I

had only known that is how it would have turned out, I would have

done it differently.”? A while ago, I began working on a small

construction project, confident I would be able to complete it.

When it became obvious to me that I was in over my head, I

recruited the help of someone with experience to finish the job.

The work I had done actually made his work more difficult. When I

promised that I would never do that to him again, with a smile, he

said, “If you do, next time call me before you start.” We both

chuckled because it was funny, but we both knew he meant it.

What word comes to your mind when you hear the word, Christian?

Would it be the words “saved,” “joyful,” “redeemed,” or “Christ?” There

are many possibilities. Surely one word that should be in that list is the

word “blessed.” In the parable of the watchman in Luke 12, Jesus said, “If

he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake,

blessed are those servants” (Luke 12:38, ESV). If those who are in Christ

are spiritually awake and watching when the Lord returns, they will be

the most blessed of people!

I have a good friend who is one of those bright-eyed and bushy-tailed early

morning folks. One day, when I accused him of sleeping in, he said,

“Baggett, I get up every morning and slap the rooster to wake him up.” Are

you one of those folks, or do you like to cover back up when the alarm goes

off and continue sleeping? Often, children want to go back to sleep in the

mornings, and parents find it difficult to wake them up. If, as adults, we

“hit the snooze” one time too many, it can really be problematic.

It has been said that “clothes make the man,” meaning that the way we

dress puts us in the proper mindset for the task ahead and can affect the

impressions others have of us. It also implies the need to make the very

best decision regarding our dress. For example: a football player wears

cleats, pads, a uniform, and a helmet; a fireman wears boots, gloves, and

protective gear for his body and head; and an astronaut wears clothing

and gear specifically designed to withstand the pressures of being in

outer space.