What becomes of the seed of God in your life? 

April 24, 2022

I have been reading and thinking about the parable of the sower lately.

It is documented in Mathew 13 and Luke 8, and goes something like this:

A sower sowed his seed. It fell on different types of ground, and so different things happened to it. Only what fell in the good ground, grew up to bear fruit.

We know the ‘concept’ from the parable, but it is worth noticing that Jesus isn’t giving us any ‘guess work’ here. He is being very specific when he is unpacking the detailed understanding of the story to his disciples. First we see that:

• Some of the seed fell by the wayside, and it was either stamped down or picked up by the birds
• Some fell on stony places, and it grew up quickly and withered just as quickly
• Some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them
• Some fell on good ground and it grew up to bear fruit

Then Jesus goes on to explain to his friends what these examples symbolizes. This is where we should pay attention, because Jesus shares about what has the potential to hinder the growth of all that is sown by God in our lives, and none of it is very far from any one of us. Listen.  

1. What fell by the wayside is those who hear but cannot understand, and then comes the devil and takes it away immediately. And there is no fruit or life. 
2. On the stony places, where it withers quickly, is those who first receive gladly the good news, but they have no root. Therefore, as soon as comes trials, persecution and difficulties, they stumble. They start out rejoicing, but because the word does not get to go deep down into the root of their heart, and stay there, where it over time gets to grow strong and sustainable in the hidden place, it actually becomes powerless. It ends up withering and dying when everything isn’t just great and delightful. This teaches us the great importance of holding on through difficulties. 
3. What fell among thorns is what is being choked by the worries of this life, together with the deceitfulness of riches and pleasures. Listen carefully; Jesus is saying that worries have the power to hinder the seed of God in our lives from bearing fruit! The same goes for the deceitfulness of riches and pleasures. Which one of us is not affected by this in as good as all areas of our lives? Is worrying, or riches (or the lack of riches) or pleasures choking things that God has planted and meant to grow into maturity in your life right now? Take an honest check on yourself. 
4. Finally, what fell in good soil, is the ones who hears it, and understands it, and heeds it so that over time, in their heart it can grow and bear fruit. It’s the opposite of all the other cases. Not always visible, some times hidden deeply and in a slow process, but surely going to bear fruit after His purpose.

In all of this, I think we alle may easily find challenges we need to tend to concerning the ground of our hearts.

I invite you to join me in prayer:

“Lord, let me guard the soil in my heart, so that I can receive what you sow in my life through your Word, your guidance, the people you use, and all of your ways with me. Let me be careful to keep away everything that hinders growth and maturity, with no hesitation or compromise! What I want more than all else, is to be at your disposition, so that your Kingdom might grow and live inside of me. Show me today if there is anything I need to clean up and settle in my heart, to respond to you in the way of the good soil.”