Everything starts small. You could go so far as to say that everything starts with a seed. This is obvious for plants.

Every plant has something that is unique about it, and that plant grows in different ways, in different climates, to different sizes.

On my desk, I have a little jar of mustard seeds. That jar is about 1 inch in diameter and two inches tall, and contained within that jar are 35 mustard seeds, and they don’t even cover the bottom of the jar. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk, I look at that jar of mustard seeds and wonder just how a seed that tiny can grow into a tree.

Mustard seeds are famous in the Bible for how tiny they are, and that’s no joke—a mustard seed is around 2.5 millimeters in diameter. That’s tiny! And yet this tiny seed, under the right conditions, can grow to be a tree anywhere from 6 to 30 feet tall, depending on the species and the climate. Mustard prefers a temperate climate: not too hot, and definitely not very humid. According to finegardening.com, a little frost might even improve the flavor of the mustard plant.

But how is it able to grow to such impressive heights? Two reasons:

1. Mustard plants have root systems that are as big as the plant itself.

Although it starts from a tiny seed, a mustard plant grows both deep and wide—it is as wide as it is tall, and its root system is just as impressive. Mustard plants prefer drier climates, which could be part of the reason their root system is so deep—they can get their water from deep underground and the area directly underneath the tree. With too much water, this plant will mold.

The mustard tree is basically immovable because its root system is so stable. As the mustard seed grows into a tree, it becomes stronger and stronger, more firmly fixed in place. It is stronger than it appears because it has a solid foundation, and it is constantly building on that foundation.

2. Mustard plants grow quickly.

In just four short weeks, some mustard plants are already ready to be harvested. While mustard is not technically a tree, it is a large bush that can grow as tall as 10 feet. And it can get that big in 80 to 95 days, depending on the variety. It can grow even bigger and faster in native climates like Iran, which is sandy and dry.

Mustard plants have a variety of uses, making them more valuable among all spices. The leaves can be used as salad greens or cooked for a side dish. The seeds can be saved, dried and harvested to seed another crop, or they can be ground up into a powder and used to make what we now know of as mustard.

Mustard also has a plethora of health benefits. It’s in the family of plants known as cruciferous vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Although there are several different types of mustard, mustard is practically a universal thing. There is white mustard, black mustard, and brown mustard. Each one of these seeds grows into a slightly different plant, but all undergo the miraculous transformation from tiny plant to giant shrub. Like this mustard plant, we too can learn to be flexible, adjusting to be ready for anything that comes our way.

There is a lot that makes the mustard plant unique, but it also teaches us many valuable lessons. Although it starts small, it grows rapidly and expansively, and as it grows, it becomes stronger and more stable. Under the proper conditions, we too can grow like this mighty mustard seed, spreading roots deep as our branches grow tall. We, too, must grow quickly because of the times ahead. And we must be versatile, ready for anything that comes our way.

This mighty little seed sprouts into one of the most useful things of God’s creation, and it reaches that size, both physically and metaphorically, very quickly. Take a look at the mustard seed, and you will see it for what it is: an amazing example of the sheer amount of potential God has packed into a little 2.5-millimeter mustard seed.