Your heart is God’s garden. Beautiful things grow when God is allowed to plow up the soil, remove any weeds that don’t belong, and plant seeds that will bear great fruit for His Kingdom. In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus shares a parable, a story that helps illustrate the truths that He is speaking about. This particular parable is of a farmer scattering seeds across his fields.
Jesus tells of four kinds of soils that seeds can land on. One represents a path where birds quickly eat the seeds that fell on the path. The second kind of seed lands in shallow, rocky soil. New growth from the seeds wilt under the hot sun for they did not have deep roots. Third, seeds grew up but there were thorns that eventually choked out the tender plants. Finally, there were seeds that fell on fertile soil and produced a large crop. It flourished and provided much food for the farmer.
Jesus did not leave His disciples in the dark about the meaning behind His words. He went on to explain what His parable meant.
He will give clarity, in His time, in helping you understand what He is wanting you to know.
Each seed represents a person’s heart. God is the farmer who throws out seeds into the world. Depending on how you cultivate your faith will depend on how it grows.
The seed that was quickly taken away by a bird is a person who hears God’s truths but does not understand it. The evil one comes and snatches the seed. Satan wants to keep you uninterested in the things of God. This seed could represent someone who goes to church on Sunday and that’s it.
The second seed that lands in shallow soil hears truth and receives it with joy but doesn’t let it grow any farther. Because of a lack of deep roots, the seed loses faith and turns away from God as soon as problems arise. A heart that loves God and the world will struggle with a divided loyalty between two worlds.
The seed that began growing amongst thorns hears God’s Word, but truth is quickly crowded out by the worries of this life and/or the lure of wealth. No fruit is produced by seeds that allow worldly living to have a greater place than walking in obedience with Christ. Again, divided loyalty between two worlds will kill your faith.
Finally, the seed that fell on good soil is a heart that truly hears and understands God’s Word. You will produce a harvest bigger than yourself for you are living your life for God. This seed has made Jesus first in his life and allowed God to lead him forward according to His will and not his own. The things in this world have faded into the background of importance.
God desires for you to allow your faith to fall on good soil that has been tilled up by God. When Jesus is allowed to get His hands dirty and break up hardened areas and remove any unnecessary weeds that creep in and cause you to not flourish in God, you become a beacon of light in this dark world. You have greater understanding of spiritual truths as He matures your heart and helps you become spiritually fruitful.
Jesus taught His disciples that He wants everyone to listen. “If you have ears listen and understand.” Jesus said that those who listen to His teachings, He will help you to understand. “You will have an abundance of knowledge.”
For those who choose not to listen, God will take away your faith. “You will look but you won’t really see. You will hear, but you won’t really listen or understand.” This is because your heart is hardened against God’s truths. You won’t turn around and face Christ. You reject God’s Son and the love that He has for you.
In verses 16-17, Jesus says how blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears because they hear. Many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see but they don’t see. They long to hear what you hear but they don’t hear.
Will you lose interest with godly things and let the enemy stunt your faith? Will you hear godly truths but allow the things of this life to get in the way of going deep with God? Does the worries of this life and the pursuit of wealth crowd around your faith and smother it?
Or do you desire to follow after Jesus? Are you wanting to jump in all the way and seek the greatest love story ever told?
Jesus died for you. He resurrected from the dead for you. God deserves your heart. Let nothing hold you back from what God wants to bloom within you. It will be beautiful.
(Next Tuesday, there will be no blog. I am out of town helping my daughter find an apartment. I will resume Thursday, January 13.)
Carol J German 