May 10: The Seed That Grows in Secret

By Tamelia Barriffe

Gospel of Mark 4:27 (KJV) says, “And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should 

spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.” This verse highlights a powerful truth about how 

growth works through God. The farmer plants the seed and then continues living his daily 

life—sleeping, waking, and carrying on—while the seed begins to grow in ways he cannot fully 

see or understand. The key idea is that growth is still happening even when the farmer is not 

actively doing something, and he does not fully understand how it is happening. That is often 

how God works in our lives. 

The seed represents God’s Word, truth, purpose, instruction, or even the things we pour into 

others through encouragement, teaching, guidance, and care. The sower can represent 

anyone—a parent, teacher, helper, believer, entrepreneur, leader, or friend. Our role is to plant 

faithfully, not to force growth. Many times as humans, we become consumed with outcomes. We 

focus on whether the business becomes profitable, whether the child changes immediately, 

whether the student achieves the grade, whether the relationship improves, or whether the plan 

works out exactly as expected. Because we are so fixed on visible results, we often fail to 

appreciate the process and the hidden work taking place beneath the surface. 

The farmer in the parable does not obsess over the seed every second. He trusts the process 

enough to continue through life while the growth unfolds. That is difficult for many of us because 

we want evidence, timelines, and immediate confirmation that something is working. Yet this 

scripture reminds us that while we are waiting for outward results, important things are still 

happening internally and are eventually reflected outwardly. During seasons where we think 

“nothing is happening,” God may actually be shaping our character, refining our thinking, and 

aligning our decisions. We may be learning patience, becoming more discerning, developing 

wisdom, improving how we lead, or learning how to respond differently to challenges. Those 

changes may not look like the exact outcome we were expecting, but they are still evidence of 

growth. 

Sometimes a parent may not yet see the behavior they are praying for in their child, but they 

themselves are becoming calmer, wiser, and more intentional. A business owner may not yet 

see the financial breakthrough they hoped for, but they are learning discipline, resilience, and 

better decision-making. A teacher may not yet see dramatic academic improvement, but seeds 

of confidence, trust, and understanding are quietly forming within the student. These things 

matter. They are not separate from the journey; they are part of how God transforms, develops, 

and prepares us. 

This scripture teaches us that growth is not always loud or immediately visible. God often works 

quietly, gradually, and beyond our full understanding. The process itself has purpose. We are 

not only waiting for outcomes; we are also becoming transformed while we wait. Instead of 

measuring progress only by visible success, we must learn to recognize the internal 

development taking place within us and around us. 

Take a moment to reflect on this: Are you so focused on the outcome that you are missing the 

growth already happening in the process? What qualities is God developing in you during this 

season that may later become the very thing needed for the next stage of your life? 

Prayer  

Lord, help us to trust You in seasons where growth is not immediately visible. Teach us to plant 

faithfully without becoming consumed by outcomes. Open our eyes to recognize the ways You 

are working beneath the surface, both in the situations around us and within our own hearts. 

Help us to value the process, knowing that You are using every season to develop patience, 

wisdom, discernment, and strength. Remind us that even when we cannot fully see it or 

understand it, You are still working. Amen.