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Good soil must be cultivated.
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11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
As Jesus goes on to describe four types of soil, his parable gets interesting. He explains how these soils represent four possible conditions of our heart. Later in Luke’s gospel, Jesus says, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). God’s desire is not for us to simply hear the word of the Lord, but that it would produce something within us. Now, continue reading at your own risk. As you read through today’s Daily, ask the Lord to check your heart and reveal which soil describes the current state of your soul. If you’re feeling even more courageous, ask a friend or mentor to answer for you.
On Sunday, Billy Berglund described the path as a heart of disinterest. Similar to litter on the ground, kicked around or swiped by nearby animals, this type of heart simply doesn’t care about the Kingdom of God. If you close your ears to God’s words because it’s not all that interesting to you, don’t expect anything to change. Does God’s word fall along the path for you?
The second soil is rocky. Rocks are not like soil. Seeds just can’t penetrate. Even if one seed finds a patch of dirt, it dries up quickly because it cannot survive the heat of the sun. Billy described this soil as a heart in distress – perhaps hardened due to ongoing anxiety, existing anger or lingering bitterness. Unfortunately, if your heart remains resistant, God’s truth cannot do the real work of maturing you. Does God’s word fall on the rock for you?
Billy referred to the thorny soil as the distracted heart. Any soil filled with weeds begins to use its energy toward growing more weeds. This is counterproductive if you want good produce. Likewise, if you’re using up good energy without finding any good return, you’re probably wasting energy on meaningless distractions, instead of putting the time and effort into cultivating a heart ready to listen to God. Does God’s word fall among the thorns for you?
Good soil must be cultivated. With the right amount of effort and the right ingredients, soil is ready to receive new seeds. This heart is receptive – and bears fruit. If you see value in the message of God’s kingdom, if you seek perseverance in allowing God to work in his timing and if you sustain connection to God in the process, your soil will remain good. Be encouraged. You may not see fruit everyday, but you can keep a soft heart ready to hear and obey the word of God. Are you willing to let this message fall into good soil today?[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]
By Yvonne Biel
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