The Little Seed That Could - A Devotional By LeBron Keener

The Little Seed That Could - A Devotional By LeBron Keener

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed… nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

(Matthew 17:20 KJV)

In a dusty town nestled between rolling hills and worn-out barns lived a boy named Eli. He wasn’t the biggest, the smartest, or the bravest, but he had a heart full of questions and a pocket full of rocks.

One Sunday after church, the pastor handed every child a tiny envelope. Inside was a mustard seed - so small it nearly disappeared into Eli’s palm. He looked up and asked, “What’s this for?”

The pastor knelt down, smiled, and said, “That’s all the faith you need.”

Eli didn’t quite understand, but he took it home, placed the seed in a jar lid with a little dirt, and set it on his windowsill. Every morning, he’d check on it. He watered it, whispered to it, and waited.

Days passed. Then weeks. Still nothing.

He almost threw it out. “Maybe my faith’s not enough,” he muttered one night, staring at the bare soil. “Maybe I’m just too small.”

But the next morning, when the sun spilled across his windowsill, something had changed.

A green sprout, barely a whisper of life, had broken through the dirt.

Eli’s eyes lit up.

He ran to his mom and shouted, “It’s growing! It’s really growing!”

She smiled and said, “Sometimes the smallest things take the longest to show up - but when they do, they’re stronger than you think.”

That little sprout grew. And as it grew, so did Eli’s faith. He learned that faith wasn’t about feeling big or bold - it was about trusting God enough to start small and keep believing, even when you can’t see what’s happening beneath the surface.

Reflection:

Jesus said mustard-seed faith was enough. Not mountain-sized, not perfect, not flashy - just small, genuine, and willing to grow.

Sometimes, we wait and wonder if God’s doing anything at all. But under the surface, roots are forming. Hope is stretching. Faith is pushing through the soil of doubt.

Don’t despise the days of small beginnings. That seed in your hand might one day grow into something that gives shade to others.

Prayer:

"Lord, help me to trust You with even the smallest bit of faith. When I don’t see results right away, remind me that You’re still working. Grow something beautiful in me, one small step at a time. Amen."

Today’s Challenge:

Take one small act of faith today - pray for someone, read one verse, forgive, serve, or plant a dream. It may feel tiny now, but with God, even mustard seeds can move mountains.