From the very beginning of creation, God used nature to reveal spiritual truths. Even something as small as a seed carries a deeper meaning about spiritual life, growth, and transformation. A seed does not instantly become fruitful the moment it is planted. It goes through a hidden process beneath the soil before growth becomes visible. Its roots must first grow deeper before the plant can become strong enough to bear fruit.
In the same way, spiritual growth also begins with a seed—the Word of God planted in the human heart. Yet the growth of that seed depends on the condition of the heart that receives it. Some hearts are hardened, while others are soft and willing to receive God’s truth. There are moments when God plants His Word in our lives long before we fully understand what He is doing. Sometimes His work remains hidden for years until the time comes for spiritual awakening, transformation, and a deeper relationship with Him.
As I reflected on my own spiritual journey, I realized that God had already been planting seeds in my heart even during the seasons when I was spiritually blind and unaware of His work. Looking back now, I can clearly see how God patiently used different people, experiences, and His Word to slowly draw me closer to Him. Through this testimony and reflection, I want to share how the process of a growing seed beautifully reflects the process of spiritual growth through the Word of God.
I remember when I was still in elementary school, each student had their own small garden that was checked by our teacher. Before we planted seeds, the soil first had to be prepared properly so the seeds could grow well, because some soil was hard. That is why the soil needed to be loosened and softened first. I remember the seed I planted in my garden was a bean seed. I was always excited and happy every time I visited my garden to check whether the seed had already started growing. Then I witnessed the entire process of the seed growing until it eventually bore fruit.
When we plant a seed, the first thing we do is bury it beneath the soil. We cannot immediately see what is happening underneath because it is covered by the ground. After some time, the seed begins to open and break apart. Then a small sprout starts to appear. But before the plant becomes visible above the soil, its roots are already growing deeper underneath. Eventually, the plant continues growing until it finally bears fruit.
Spiritually, it is the same way. Before we develop a relationship with God, it first begins with a seed called the “Word of God.” But even before growth happens, it depends on what kind of heart a person has. Some hearts are soft, while others are hardened. A hardened heart struggles to allow the seed to grow properly. That is why there is a process before spiritual growth becomes visible.
I also remember my own experience. When I was still in elementary school, my father would tell me to read the Bible out loud. His intention was to help me draw closer to God and listen to His Word. But during that time, I hated being corrected or preached to using the Bible because my understanding was very different back then. My heart was not yet open to the Word of God, especially because my father had entered different religions before. Because of that, I thought everything was simply about religion. I did not realize that God was already planting a seed in my heart during those moments.
One verse that deeply remained in my heart and mind was about not bowing down to or worshiping idols because God is jealous for His people. Even until now, that verse has never left my heart. This is the full verse:
EXODUS 20:3-5 (NLT)
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.
By the time I reached high school, the Word of God I had read remained deeply in my heart and mind. During high school, I studied in a Catholic school. Every week we attended Mass, and every Tuesday and Thursday morning we also attended rosary prayers. But because of the Bible verse I had read before, I never participated in religious practices that I believed were against God. I did not even know how to pray the rosary. Since I was studying in a Catholic school, I still showed respect because it was part of the school’s faith practices. So whenever we attended Mass, I would simply sit, stand, and kneel respectfully inside the church. However, I did not participate in practices such as leading the rosary, confession, or praying the rosary itself.
No one told me these things or brainwashed me. It was simply because the Bible verse my father made me read remained deeply in my heart and mind. From that moment on, I became fearful of following religious practices that I believed were against God. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
PROVERBS 9:10 (NLT)
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Whenever I look back on my journey, I become deeply touched. I can now see the works of God that I never recognized before. But because my heart was not yet softened during those years, the process before the Word of God fully grew within me took a long time.
There was also a time during college when I went home to our hometown. A worship gathering was being held near our house where people were sharing the Word of God and worshiping Him. My mother was invited and brought me with her to attend. I went there, but my heart and mind were not connected to God at that time. I tried to focus, but suddenly I started coughing repeatedly, so I went home before the gathering ended.
Then during my fourth year in college, we had a clinical instructor who shared her testimony about God. One thing I clearly remember was when she said that God spoke to her before the nursing board exam results were released. God told her that her daughter had already passed the exam. Because of that, she became very confident that her daughter had truly passed, and she even started preparing for a thanksgiving celebration before the official results came out. And indeed, her daughter passed the nursing board exam.
Her testimony deeply touched my heart. It made me desire to draw closer to God because through her testimony, I realized that God is real. I even told my friend that we should approach our clinical instructor and ask her more about God. But since graduation was already near, we no longer had classes or duties, and we became busy preparing for graduation. Because of that, we were never able to reach out to her.
Later, when I already had a relationship with God, I realized that when our clinical instructor shared her testimony, God was already using her to plant another seed in my heart.
Then there came a time when I was about to study for the nursing board exam. I suddenly saw a Bible. Instead of studying for the board exam, I picked up the Bible, opened it, and started reading it. It was a Cebuano version of the Bible—the same Bible my father used when he made me read Scripture during my childhood.
As I read it, my heart was deeply touched. Tears continuously flowed from my eyes. The chapter I was reading was Matthew 24. I already shared that testimony before under the title “How Jesus Drew Me to Himself: From Spiritual Blindness to a Relationship With God.”
When God opened my spiritual eyes, I finally understood His works in my life—from the seed He planted in my heart until the stage of germination that I call “Inner Awakening.” This represents repentance, surrendering to God, spiritual awakening, and receiving new understanding. During this moment, the sins and wrongdoings of a person become exposed through the Word of God. The hardened heart becomes softened. A person begins to realize their sins and understands their need for God.
I became truly amazed by the process of the Word of God as a seed because just as people grow naturally, spiritual growth also happens in a similar way. If a person is healthy physically, they grow properly. Spiritually, it is also the same. If the heart is prepared well, the seed planted by God grows properly. The roots continue growing deeper, the plant becomes stronger, and eventually it bears fruit depending on its growth.
The entire process of seed growth reflects our relationship with God. If you plant a seed in the soil but never care for it—without watering it, nurturing it, or paying attention to it—you will never harvest fruit from it. It needs love and care. Spiritually, it is the same. Without a relationship with God, we cannot grow spiritually. God uses different ways to help a person grow closer to Him. He is the One who causes spiritual growth until a person becomes spiritually mature and fruitful.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:6-9 (NLT)
6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
That is why Jesus used the Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed—to help us understand the different kinds of hearts people have and why spiritual growth differs from one person to another. God scatters seeds into every person’s life, but the growth of the Word of God depends on the condition of the heart that receives it.
Just as Jesus explained in the parable, some people hear the message about the Kingdom of God but do not understand it. Then Satan comes and steals the Word of God that was planted in their hearts.
Others receive the Word of God with joy, but their hearts are rocky and shallow. Because they do not develop deep spiritual roots, their faith does not last. When problems, hardships, or persecution come because of their faith in God, they fall away.
Others hear the Word of God, but because of worries in life and the desire for wealth and success, the Word becomes crowded out and produces no fruit in their lives.
But the people who truly hear, understand, and receive the Word of God are the ones who bear fruit in their lives. Some produce a little fruit, others produce more, and some produce an abundant harvest.
MATTHEW 13:18-23 (NLT)
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
A fruitful person reflects the fruits of the Holy Spirit. This means genuine transformation becomes visible in a person’s life. Because of that transformation, they are able to share God with others. A transformed person reflects and manifests the fruits of the Holy Spirit. A fruitful life becomes a witness for God.
Such a person becomes a blessing to others by sharing the Word of God, encouraging people to draw closer to Him, and reflecting Jesus Christ through their lifestyle—through obedience to God, humility before Him, compassion toward others, a desire for truth, and a pursuit of holiness. None of these things are possible without a genuine relationship with God.
GALATIANS 5:22-23 (NLT)
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
We are saved by the grace of God. Salvation is a gift from Him. Our salvation is not based on our own works for God, but on His grace alone. However, the Bible also says that faith without good works is dead. This means that if we truly have faith in God, our actions should reflect our faith. It is not enough to simply say that we believe in Jesus Christ—we must also obey and follow His Word. If we do not obey His Word, then our faith becomes empty.
JAMES 2:26 (NLT)
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
JAMES 2:21-24 (NLT)
21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
As I look back on my spiritual journey, I am amazed by how patiently God works in a person’s life. Just like a seed planted beneath the soil, much of God’s work happens in places we cannot immediately see. Before spiritual fruit becomes visible outwardly, God first works deeply within the heart. He softens hardened places, exposes hidden sins, develops deeper roots, and slowly transforms a person through His Word.
The process of spiritual growth is not instant. There are seasons of waiting, struggles, conviction, pruning, and spiritual awakening. Yet through every stage, God remains faithful in nurturing the seed He planted. Sometimes He uses His Word, testimonies, circumstances, correction, or even painful experiences to draw a person closer to Him. In His perfect timing, the seed begins to grow, mature, and eventually bear spiritual fruit.
True spiritual fruit is not merely outward religious activity, but a transformed life that reflects the character of Jesus Christ. When a person genuinely has a relationship with God, the fruits of the Holy Spirit become visible through their life—love, obedience, humility, kindness, faithfulness, holiness, and compassion toward others. A fruitful life becomes a living testimony of God’s transforming power.
This journey reminded me that spiritual growth is impossible apart from a relationship with God. Just as a plant cannot survive without proper care, nourishment, and connection to its source of life, we also cannot grow spiritually without remaining connected to God through His Word. It is God who plants, waters, nurtures, and causes spiritual growth within us.
Looking back now, I realize that every seed God planted in my heart had a purpose. Even during the seasons when I did not fully understand Him, God was already patiently working behind the scenes. And through His grace, He continues transforming lives from seed to fruit for His glory.
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