Development

Today we’re talking about development. Now, usually when we hear that word, we think of housing developments, job development, or maybe even those awkward school photo “developments” where our hair choices were questionable at best.

But Jesus used the word in a much deeper way. In Mark 4:26–29, He said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

Development takes time—both in nature and in us. God is working in ways we don’t always see, shaping us, growing us, and preparing us to be used for His purposes. So today, let’s lean into the encouragement that even if it feels slow or unseen, the process of growth is happening, and God is right in the middle of it.

With the word development, we know there will be a process, and the same is true when we are learning, growing, and being developed by God to be used by Him.

There is preparation, pruning, and a lot of life change that happens when we allow God to develop us.

Sometimes we don’t even know that the change is happening until one day we realize we are handling something better or that we are reacting in a way that is generally out of character for our old selves.

God is always refining and making changes in our lives whether we realize it or not.

Have you ever watched something being built?

First, there is a lot of dirt work that needs to happen, then there are drainage and roads, then the building might start next… Anyway, there are a lot of steps to even get to where we can see what the project will be.

The same is true when God starts doing work in us to prepare us for what He has for us. There will be healing, heart work, and overall changes being made, and He equips us for our calling.

So, if God has called you to something, or maybe He hasn’t yet, know that there is work being done and soon you will be ready for the steps that God has for you. And once you see the growth and the preparation that has happened, you will know that all that has happened was for God’s good and His glory.

Don’t be discouraged by the steps needed to grow your faith. I see this one person’s reels all the time about his journey as a new Christ follower, and I am mesmerized by how aware he is of the changes God is making and how childlike he is when he learns new things. So many people are now making videos of their journey—they are raw, personal, and just so open with what God is doing.

All this to say… as you are walking through different things with the Lord, be open and in awe of the work He is doing in your life. Take it all in and know how detailed and loving the Father is.

When I was in high school, I took photography, and I loved it. It was so cool to take pictures, go into the darkroom, and do the whole process to see your pictures develop.

I can still remember the smell of the darkroom.

It seems like the process would be a lot, but in reality, the development of pictures is an easy and quick one. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, then your picture won’t turn out.

When we go through life, it’s the same way. Some things may seem too hard or might take too long, but once we learn the development process, we find that it just might be easier than we thought.

Mark 4:26–29, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

When we talk about growth, the first thing we think of and talk about is a plant of some sort, and that is an accurate way to describe development because a lot of things we cannot see are done under the surface—which is great because God looks at our heart and sees who we are.

But when thinking about development, I think of a staircase… we are making our way up one day at a time, and with each step there is growth and forward movement.

Though we are doing a lot of heart work, it is the most noticeable steps where we become encouraged by what the Lord has done, and with that, our faith grows deeper.

There is a process to everything. For my show, I ask God to help me with topics and then a scripture, and then I ask Him to give me the words and to speak through me.

Over the last year, there have been times when I’ve had writer’s block, struggles to even stay focused, and just feeling like I was missing something.

All of that is discouraging, and some of it was used by God so that He can show me things, and other times it was for me to discern what He was trying to show or tell me through the enemy’s tactics.

But through it all, I know that God is working and teaching and developing things in me. So, though things are a little rocky at times, I know that as long as I turn to God, what He is developing in me will come through. It’s all for His glory.

Mark 4:26–29, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

As we go through each step of the development process, we know that there will always be room for change and growth, as we are never done until the day we die and go be with the Lord.

So, just as the farmer plants seed and grows crops every season and year, we will do the same. Harvest will come with time, but our end goal is to continue in our development with the Lord guiding us each step of the way so that we will be fruitful for the Lord.

I wonder how long it took for farmers to learn what would grow when and where?

I mean, think about it—certain things produce better in certain climates than others. Some are planted per season and per growing zones. Even when we go to the store to get plants, they have little indicators to tell us how much water, sun, and depth to plant… This process must have taken so long to figure out.

There is a lot of information, and isn’t it amazing that God gave people the ability and desire to understand all of it and to grow and produce such great things?

God gives each of us gifts, and for us to learn to use them for His kingdom, we need to learn all that we can about them. Through this, He furthers our knowledge and also equips us to use them.

God is always developing things within us—let’s keep ourselves open to the opportunities He gives.

Have you ever learned something and are good at it, but then something else or someone else comes along and you find yourself depending on whatever else rather than your knowledge and ability? I think we all have at some point.

God developed something in us, and then we started depending on something else instead of leaning into the Lord to guide us and to continue to develop us.

Let’s not forget that God is the one who provides what we need, and when we are struggling to keep up or even just move forward, we don’t need to depend on something else or new—we need to ask God to help us first so that we can understand what is next and also to open our minds to handle and take on anything new.

Let God develop in you what is needed before you start depending on anything else.

Let’s go back to Jesus’ words in Mark 4. Just like a seed develops underground before we ever see a sprout, God is developing things in us long before the fruit shows up. And that’s good news, because it means your story isn’t stuck—it’s growing.

Development doesn’t happen overnight. It’s step by step, season by season, and sometimes it feels hidden. But every stage matters, and God is faithful to bring the harvest at just the right time.

So, if you’re in a season where you don’t see the results yet, don’t give up. Trust that God is developing your character, your faith, and your calling. And when the time is right, He’ll bring out the fruit He’s been growing in you all along.