Every year in spring... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3

Every year in spring, we rejoice over the sight of the splendour of the blossom on the fruit trees. The branches are full of promise. When the wind has blown the leaves of the blossom away, we notice signs of budding fruit here and there. A few months later, however, our expectations prove not to have been completely fulfilled. The fruit was not as abundant as the blossom; nor was it all of the best quality. Some of it was small, spotted or maggoty.
Children, too, give their parents much pleasure in their early years. So long as they are fairly small, they can easily be guided; they smile, are happy and innocent. But as self-will increases, we see these pleasant traits fading away. The children become older and the evil that was in them from the beginning becomes more and more evident. The verdict of the Bible proves true: "How can a man be righteous before God?" (Job 9:2).
Natures vary, of course. There are eager young people with good ambitions for their lives and achieve them, as it seems, at any rate. However, there are others who try anything and go further and further downhill.
For the upright and ambitious, heaven is by no means automatically open. That hope would be an illusion. For the others, heaven is certainly not unattainable. For a reliable hope regarding the afterlife, both need God's mercy and the new life that He imparts to all who entrust themselves to Christ.
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 17:28-58