As you read this well known parable from our Lord, Jesus Christ, pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal answers to the following questions…
“Which soil are you?”
“Are you just the soil, or also a sower?”
I would also encourage you to keep in mind that the seed, the word of Yahweh, is consistent throughout. That is not what drives the difference in outcome. The difference in outcome is driven by the soil.
Parable of the Sower and Soils
1He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5“Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6“And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7“Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8“Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”
Explanation
13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14“The sower sows the word. 15“These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16“In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18“And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20“And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
21And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25“For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
I can look back on my life and see times when I have been the path and then later choked by the weeds and now more and more I see God moving in my life and leading me to bear fruit for His kingdom. As I have become more fruitful, I begin to become a sower as well, though I must never stop being the soil to draw in His word. I still have a long way to go, but praise God for His grace to work inside of me!
As you pray for wisdom and guidance from the Spirit, also reflect prayerfully on how to change to become even more fruitful for the kingdom of God. Identify a few simple actions to take even starting this week. Do not be so discouraged as to not try nor think of yourself as better than you are and risk remaining complacent. Rather be honest and start your journey from where you are today. The only lasting regret is if you refuse to move forward to serve Yeshua more!
I also encourage you not to try to do this all on your own. Ask the Spirit to help you, to transform you, so that you can be more fruitful.
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You for the Spirit to help guide me. Please help me to be more fruitful for Your kingdom. Help me to be the good soil. Lead me in growing to be more of a sower as well of Your word. Amen.
Shalom
Devotion by John in service to Christ
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