Help me understand Your Word, God.
May my heart be prepared to receive
Your truth, and be established fully in it.
Series: “Eyes to See and Ears to Hear”
As the warm sun thaws the ground and the days get longer, thoughts of tending my yard occupy my mind. The abundance of rain and snow through winter has caused a wash in the low parts of the yard. The rock garden must be reestablished and treated to prevent the breakthrough of weeds. The soil in the flower beds will need turned and nourished to support growth through the coming seasons.
Yard maintenance requires a lot of work! As I ponder the different approaches of care each area of my yard demands, my mind drifts to the parable found in Matthew 13:
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:3-9).
When I think about the different conditions of the soil in my yard – I know some areas won’t support life and growth at all – just like those Jesus mentioned in the parable. In other areas of my yard, I want fertile soil so the plants will thrive. Good soil is crucial for strong roots, and strong roots are required for plants to flourish.
But the parable Jesus taught in Luke 13 isn’t about soil at all. It’s about the condition of our hearts. Jesus explains the parable in Matthew 13:18-23:
“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Jesus says if we have no root of His word in our hearts, we will fall away from His truth. Trials, hardship, persecution, deception, cares, and desires can cause us to be distracted and then His word will be unfruitful in our lives.
So how do we guard our hearts from these issues of life that can cause our hearts to be rocky and shallow? Is there a way to cultivate “good soil” in our hearts? Jesus said the one who has good soil is the one who not just hears His words, but understands them (Matthew 13:23).
Understanding the word of God is like Miracle Grow to the soil of our hearts. Just as Miracle Grow provides the right soil composition for root and plant growth, understanding establishes us in the depths of God’s truths. With roots of the implanted seeds of God’s word pushing deep into our comprehending hearts, a great harvest will be realized in our lives.
Seek God and His truth. Read and study the Bible; pray; meditate on the word; and ask God to lead you into all truth. He desires that we be like trees planted by the water, yielding fruit in its season, prospering in all we do (Psalm 1:3). Let your heart be the fertile ground God needs to accomplish miraculous things in your life!
Holding Fast to Hope,
Maryann
Scripture References: Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:1-15; James 1:21; Proverbs 4; John 16:13; Psalm 1
