I love the way in which Jesus teaches us spiritual truth through everyday activities such as agriculture. Here in the fertile county of Lincolnshire (UK), His messages literally burst into life in the fields!

A glance around the landscape shows that our farmers are tending their seeds extremely effectively. Last year, for example, a farmer broke all world records to produce the highest-yielding wheat crop ever recorded.

However, not all seeds receive such attentive treatment. What happens to those that are neglected - perhaps for a very, very long time?

To find out, look no further than a thriving 5ft sapling that was grown from an old, dry seed found in a clay jar in the ancient fortress of Masada in Israel. Radiocarbon dating revealed that the seed was 2,000 years old and had come from a Judean date palm tree that could well have been growing in the forests between Galilee and the Dead Sea when Jesus was alive.

Judean date palms – also known as 'trees of life' – once formed thick forests all along the Jordan River. The forests were destroyed by the Romans, and the Judean date palm became extinct more than 1,000 years ago.

Botanically and historically, that is astounding. Spiritually, it is more astounding still!

The seed that Jesus speaks about is the Word of God. It is God’s communication with us through the Bible; but when we hear or read God’s Word, it is up to us to decide how we respond to it and treat it. He does not force it upon us.

We can choose to take it into our hearts and minds; we can water it and tend it carefully – and then we can give praise to God as we see it becoming more and more evident in our lives and our experience.

The evidence? - less fear, less worry, less resentment and anger. More love, more forgiveness, more patience, more joy, more peace.

However, we have often failed to tend to God’s Word, failed to water it and pay attention to it... until perhaps we find that we REALLY, REALLY need help. At that point, though, we feel ashamed to approach God because we have neglected His love and His Word for so very long.

In any case, even if we do go back to God’s Word, what hope have we got that it will make any difference now? - It is never too late to reconnect with God and His Word!

Just look at the Judean date palm seed. Neglected for over 2,000 years and yet, as soon as it was watered and given attention, it brought life. Not a distorted life, not a sort-of-ok-life, not a tentative or minimalised life or embarrassed life – but the life that God intended it to live, right from the beginning. So it is with us!

God’s Seed, His Love, never dies, or weakens or gives up – however long we may leave it unattended and forgotten in a dark clay jar. As soon as any one of us turns back to Him, as soon as we confess our neglect and express desire to receive once more the seed of God’s Word... our loving Saviour is there, waiting, and running to meet us... with unconditional love that never, ever fails.