In Mark chapter 4 verses 1-25 cover the parable of the sower (soils). Then verses 26 -29 give us the parable of the seed which seems to be unique to Mark. And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows-how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the bad, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come" Mark 4:26-29.
This passage reminds me that gardens will soon be planted. Praise God for how wonderfully He made plants. A friend of ours gave us some purple okra. I would plant those little round seeds, and eventually those seeds would turn into produce that we could eat. I don't really understand how it all works, but it does. I think God is using that to teach us about His Word. As i mentioned, before this parable is the parable about the sower where verse 14 tells us, "The sower sows the word." So maybe in verse 27, the seed is the Word of God. I don't know how the Word of God works in people's lives, but I know that it can and does.
So what is a lesson for me? Sow the Word of God. Things I can do to help the seed grow: Make sure it is good seed. I mean, make sure it is God's Word and not my opinion, worldly philosophies, ect. Work the soil you are planting in. Love people and care for them. As the old saying goes, people do n't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Water the seed. Continue to teach and encourage. But ultimately it is God that gives increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). Let me challenge you to sow the seed.
~Chris