The Mustard Seed

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20

The Mustard Seed

The mustard seed, the smallest seed of all,  

Yet look at what it does though it seems so small.  

It rises up—growing sturdy and strong,  

Its quiet resilience lasting long.  

We are all mustard seeds waiting to be sprouted,  

As God reminds us our faith need not be doubted.  

And as we trust and rest in Him,  

He does His deepest work within.  

So don’t fret today if you feel small;  

God has a plan as we answer His call.  

In time we’ll grow in ways we never imagined,  

By His strength moving in ways we never fathomed.  

The roots go deep and the branches high,  

Their reach extending through all of our lives.  

So when God calls you and you wonder why,  

And nothing changes as the days go by—  

Wait on Him, for He’s the Master Gardener.  

He tends the soil and is the gracious Pardoner.  

He makes the seed grow—He knew you from the start,  

And He alone writes His law on your heart.  

So fret not; in His time and His way,  

The mustard seed grows with each passing day.  

Place your plans gently into His care,  

Trust His process and continue in prayer.  

He forgives when we wander off on our own,  

Thinking He’s forgotten while we flounder in the unknown.  

Yet still He waters the seed,  

Patiently tending us in our unbelief.  

For the seed was planted long ago—  

God’s work ordained, His promise sure to grow.

©2025 Sandra C. Johnson

He told them another parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

Matthew 13:31-32