An Unexpected Harvest - Encouragement for Today - October 20, 2025

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October 20, 2025

An Unexpected Harvest
RENÉE GOTCHER, COMPEL Pro Member

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“And He said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.’” Mark 4:26-27 (NKJV)

A bountiful harvest in a Colorado backyard garden is hard to come by. The native soil is clay-like and dense, the climate is dry, and the higher elevations make direct sunlight harsh. Despite these daunting conditions and sparse yields in the past, my husband still plants his favorite tomatoes every spring.

This year, his diligence paid off as a longer season of warm days and mild evenings fostered flourishing fruitfulness like we’ve never seen. Tomato plants outgrew their boxes, vines heavy with fruits larger than my husband’s hand!

I am in awe that such abundance came from the same tiny seeds my husband has planted in years past. While what we sow is in our control, the results are based on something we can’t control: the weather.

It’s a vivid reminder of what Jesus taught in parables about our role in sharing the gospel. He likened sharing God’s Word to scattering seeds in various conditions or types of spiritual “soil.”

“And He said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day …’” (Mark 4:26-27).

But I hadn’t considered one important point Jesus made in Mark’s account: The crop grows without the planter’s intervention, no matter what the soil is like.

Though Jesus didn’t elaborate on what happens between the planting and the harvest, He explained that fruitfulness is out of the planter’s hands: “The seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how” (Mark 4:27).

Our unexpected tomato bounty reminds me not to judge someone’s heart or even their past fruitlessness before planting spiritual seeds. I can’t force the weather to promote a plentiful crop, nor can I control the results when I share my faith. But my job and yours, as Jesus described, is to continue sowing seeds with the understanding that growth is in His hands.

Maybe you are the only believer in your family or at your job. Maybe you feel shut down by opposition on social media or in your neighborhood. No matter what harshness surrounds you, take courage and keep sharing your faith.

Jesus warned that we’d face a hard-hearted world as believers representing Him (John 15:19) — but, friend, we’re planting seeds with the One who controls the weather, the seasons, and the harvest. Only God can soften the heart to receive His Word.

We may not see the fruit of every seed we plant, but we can rest assured that when the time is right, God can provide what’s needed for that seed to mature into a fruitful vine. In time, we might be surprised to witness an incredible bounty we never expected!

Heavenly Father, sometimes I’m discouraged by the harsh environment and hard hearts around me. I wonder if I can make a difference when I haven’t seen much fruit in the past. Give me the courage to keep sharing and to trust You with the harvest. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Today’s devotion writer, Renée Gotcher, is a COMPEL Pro member and a winner of the annual Encouragement for Today Devotion Writing Challenge. To find out more about COMPEL Pro’s writing challenges and how to become a member today, click here.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Luke 8:15, “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (ESV).

Isaiah 55:11, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (ESV).

What’s one thing you can do to scatter seeds of the gospel today? We’d love to hear your ideas — share them in the comments!

© 2025 by Renée Gotcher. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org