Which soil are you?

 In my last blog, I mentioned a parable. This parable is in Matthew 13:1-9. Last night while I was praying, this came to my mind. I constantly am praying for people to come to know the Lord, that God would put workers in their path to share with them the message. 

Now, I am reminded of a couple months ago, I was in my car, driving home from meeting a friend at the park. The Lord put something on my heart that woke me up a bit. I was praying for my family member's hearts of stone to be replaced with a hearts of flesh. BOOM. The Lord decided to just lay it on me. He said, "Why would I do that when there is nobody to plant anything there?" I try to but it can be hard  for me to do when it comes to my own family for some reason. 

 The Parable of The Four Soils

Matthew 13:1-9

Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around Him, so He got into a boat. Then He sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one. "Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across the field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun and since they didn't have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."

In Luke 8:11 we are told the seed is God's word. 

So who is the farmer? Matthew 9:37-38 He said to His disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." So obviously there are multiple farmers who go out into the field and plant seeds. People who are out sharing the word of God. The true word of God, not the poisonous tares. We learn about the tares in a different parable. Matthew 13:24-30. When we look up tare in the Greek, it means darnel. Darnel's scientific name is Lolium Temulentum which is a poisonous weed that resembles wheat. It is hard to tell the difference until it it harvest time. Obviously, the enemy is working hard to plant seeds as well. Just like he planted that seed in the Garden of Eden in Eve's heart. 

Where is the seed being planted? Think about what happens when we hear a word. It goes into our brain, and then usually sticks into our heart. Whether good or bad. Let's say someone says I am fat. First, I hear that word. Then that word effects my emotions, then it effects my will. I have options. I can get sad and go indulge in food or I can go on a diet, I could choose anger, revenge, etc. When the Bible talks about the heart, it is not just talking about our blood pumping muscle. Heart in Hebrew is lêb  is used widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything. This is where the seed is planted. 

Now let's go into the different soil types. 

First we have the seeds that fell on a footpath.

 Back then, footpaths were still probably dirt but I imagine they were so compacted that if a seed fell on one, the seed would just sit there, maybe get kicked around a little bit. Jesus said that these seeds were eaten by the birds. Later on when Jesus explained this parable to His disciples, He said it was when one hears the word of the kingdom but does not understand it. Because he does not understand, the wicked one comes and takes away what was sown in his heart. Our saying for this is, "In one ear and out the other." We hear it, but it does not stick around.

Understanding the word is very different than just hearing it. Having understanding is reiterated throughout the Bible so we know it must be important. Proverbs 2:2 says, "So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding." Proverbs 4:5 says, "Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of thy mouth."

Another is the seed that fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. 

It goes on to say that the seed did sprout, quickly in fact because the soil was shallow. It did not last long, it withered away because it did not have a root that went deep. A plant that does not have deep roots is not getting enough water and nutrients it needs. The plant will not keep the moisture it needs thus leading it to wither away. Our Christian lives will wither away as well if we are not giving it what it needs. 

Let's think of a plant. It needs water to survive. It needs sunlight to survive. Some even go as far as saying  they need a sweet soft voice saying a kind word to them. I can't help but be reminded of those red letters in the Bible and the sweet soft voice of Jesus speaking to His sheep. More specifically, John 4:10. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thought knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. And John 8:12, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

Then there was the seed that fell among thorns. 

It says when they grew up, they choked out the tender plants. Jesus describes these thorns as the cares of the world. We know that as the church we are meant to be set apart from the world. Deuteronomy 14:2 NLT says, "You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and He has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be His own special treasure." 

When I think of the cares of the world a few words pop into my head. Money. Riches. Fame. American Dream. The world chases these things. Even as a follower of Christ living in the world, we are chasing these things. Struggling to make a living, we seek a higher paying job. Struggling with wanting to reach people, we seek a bigger platform. My pastor today asked a question, "What makes you feel like you are living?" We can start off with good intentions, but loose sight of why we started. The enemy loves to steal that away from us and will tempt us with whatever he knows could be a possible hook line sinker. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance that race God set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith, Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor besides God's throne. 

Keeping our eyes on Jesus helps us to be the soil that is talked about lastly. The seed fell on fertile soil. It produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, a hundred times what was planted. I want to be this soil. Where when I hear the Word of God, it produces something in me. There is change. There is fruit. What about you?