My youngest daughter and I were studying the parable of the farmer scattering seed. If you haven't read it, you can find it in Matthew 13:3-23. I've probably read this a dozen times and heard it even more. But God's word never fails to come alive and speak straight to me. What a good reminder! This parable is about the importance of continually growing in our relationship with Christ. If you are unfamiliar with the parable I'll give a quick version and please know that it will obviously be much less powerful then when Jesus' spoke it 😜 A farmer is scattering seeds. Some fall on the footpath and are immediately eaten by birds, the next fall on rocky soil, so they sprout but die quickly due to the hot sun scorching them. A few fall among the thorns, take root but are choked out and overcome by the thorn bushes. The final seeds fall into the good soil, take root, grow, prosper, and even produce better crops then before.
The seeds that fall on the footpath are those that hear God's word but don't understand it and so Satan is able to easily snatch those seeds or thoughts away.
The seeds that fell on rocky soil are those people that hear God's word, receive it and are immediately filled with joy. However, because they don't have deep roots in His word, as soon as trouble comes or they are persecuted for believing in God's word they fall away. Let's lingering here for just a minute. What's interesting is that my son and I, who is almost a teenager, were just talking about the subject of persecution. Long story short, he gave a very honest answer of saying he didn't know if someone held a gun to his head and said "Do you believe in Jesus? Say yes and I'll kill you.", if he would actually have the guts to say yes. He said yes to God less than a year and is getting baptized this weekend. So in my opinion his honest answer is warranted and is natural at this point in His walk with Jesus. Now from a different perspective, personally as a long time Christian, and as someone who is extremely confident in Christ and my relationship with Him, I can say that I pray continually to be bold because I want nothing more than to be brave and bold if the opportunity comes to say yes in someone's face that I am willing to die for Christ. And if it ever came to that, I pray that my boldness for and from Christ changes that persons life as well as others.
I didn't always have deep enough roots to withstand trouble and persecution. The next type of seed is those that fell among the thorns. These seeds represent people who hear God's word and understand the message. But all too quickly life's worries drown out the message. Or the lure of wealth and success takes over. These people know the word but haven't realized the importance and priority it needs to be. Their soil is almost too fertile so that it grows too many things and the Word of God falls to the wayside. I think I can speak for most of us if not all of us when I say that this is a struggle that needs to be kept in check DAILY! How easy it is to let the world win and take our attention away from our Creator. And that's exactly what Satan wants.
The last part of this analogy of the "thorn people" is that because they become too wrapped up in other things they produce no fruit. This is heartbreaking to me. How can we be set apart, how can we be salt and light, how can we be the hands and feet of Jesus if we have no fruit to show that He has changed our lives. OK! Finally to some good news! The seeds we all want to be! The seeds that none of us can be without help from Jesus. This is the good soil seeds and it is just right. These believers hear the Word, believe it, receive it, make it a priority, study it, and talk about it! The talking about it part is important. Don't miss that part. It's great to love God, know God, and worship God. But to share God, that is the ultimate calling! The parable says that these final seeds were able to produce a harvest of up to 100 times as much as had been planted. God will use you to bring people to Him if you are willing. Maybe 1, maybe 100. The number doesn't matter, what matters is the soil you land in and what you are gonna do with it!
The seeds never changed throughout the parable. The farmer used the same seed for every area. The only thing that changed was the soil. So what will you be planted in? 1. The footpath 2. The rocky soil 3. Among the thorns 4. The good soil God offers His word to all of us. The same promises apply to all of us. Jesus was sent for all of us. He died and rose for all of us. The choice of what we do with these gifts is ours though.
God has given us free will. We hear and do or just hear. Either way, it's up to us! Whether you've heard this parable a hundred times in Sunday School or never before, I pray I was able to share with you what God shared with me! I love that you all let me ramble to my hearts content and that some of you actually read this 😆 As always, I'm praying for you all. Xx
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