Many times, the gospel comes quietly without a fanfare. An inconsequential Christian witnesses to their neighbour in a conversation not observed by the good and the great, and yet those simple words are life-transforming. The new convert has entered into a new life which has eternal consequences of great glory, but outwardly the life has changed little at first: he continues with the same job, belongs to the same earthly family, wears the same clothes, speaks with the same accent, and lives in the same house. Inwardly however, there has been a profound change, for a seed has been planted in the heart which in time will transform the entire inner being. That tiny mustard seed will grow into a full-size tree, allowing the birds of the air to lodge in its branches. Likewise, the gospel had small beginnings in its progress through the world. Christ came into the world, born in a stable not a king’s palace. His birth was witnessed by certain chosen individuals but not by all in Bethlehem. He grew up for roughly thirty years in obscure Nazareth. The gospel was preached by twelve individuals, regarded by those in authority as unlearned and ignorant men. It made progress against such opposition as would have eliminated a message not sustained by God. It has grown and grown, but who would have expected such a mighty effect by observing its origins? God works through a still small voice which magnifies his invisible power and confounds the predictions of unbelief. In each of the illustrations that follow, wisdom is able to make much of the little it has, each illustration bringing out a different aspect of its advantage.