Lessons of Life
77
so is the growth of character. At every stage of development our life
may be perfect; yet if God’s purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be
constant advancement.
The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to
sustain its life. So spiritual growth is attained through co-operation
with divine agencies. As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are to
take root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, and
the rain, so are we to receive the Holy Spirit. If our hearts are stayed
upon Christ, He will come unto us “as the rain, as the latter and former
rain unto the earth.” As the Sun of Righteousness, He will arise upon
us “with healing in His wings.” We shall “grow as the lily.” We “shall
revive as the corn, and grow as the vine.”
Hosea 6:3
;
Malachi 4:2
;
Hosea 14:5, 7
.
The wheat develops, “first the blade, then the ear, after that the
full corn in the ear.”
Mark 4:28
. The object of the husbandman in
the sowing of the seed and the culture of the plant, is the production
of grain—bread for the hungry, and seed for future harvests. So the
divine Husbandman looks for a harvest. He is seeking to reproduce
Himself in the hearts and lives of His followers, that through them He
may be reproduced in other hearts and lives.
The gradual development of the plant from the seed is an object
lesson in child training. There is “first the blade, then the ear, after that
the full corn in the ear.”
Mark 4:28
. He who gave this parable created
the tiny seed, gave it its vital properties, and ordained the laws that
[107]
govern its growth. And the truths taught by the parable were made a
reality in His own life. He, the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory,
became a babe in Bethlehem, and for a time represented the helpless
infant in its mother’s care. In childhood He spoke and acted as a child,
honoring His parents, and carrying out their wishes in helpful ways.
But from the first dawning of intelligence He was constantly growing
in grace and in a knowledge of truth.
Parents and teachers should aim so to cultivate the tendencies
of the youth that at each stage of life they may represent the beauty
appropriate to that period, unfolding naturally, as do the plants in the
garden.
The little ones should be educated in childlike simplicity. They
should be trained to be content with the small, helpful duties and the
pleasures and experiences natural to their years. Childhood answers to