When we look at the well known text in Matthew 13:1-9 , better known as ‘The Parable of the sower’, we are reminded of the different circumstances and mindsets we sometimes get into when we engage with the word of God. Sometimes our minds are lingering , overtaken by the cares of the world which might seem unending, punishing and unrelenting. Sometimes we are preoccupied with family matters, work issues, relationship drama and financial situations that we are too overwhelmed to truly pay attention to what we are being taught in that moment. While Holy Spirit is consistently convicting and talking to us, we need to at least acknowledge that we must endeavor to prepare ourselves to be as receptive as we can be to accept what is being spoken to us. Jesus Christ expertly explains the condition of our hearts on the receipt of the seed that is being sown into our lives and it is profound how we can categorise ourselves as one type of soil , or indeed multiple soils depending on the season. As we are consistently being perfected and sanctified by His grace on this pilgrimage through the promised land of salvation, we can be confident in knowing that He who began a good work in us will surely see it to completion.
A brother recently exclaimed that he was not quite sure whether he fell into the category of good ground. This, according to him, was based on the fact that he has his struggles with accepting and indeed following some aspects of what God commands. And while he also points out his awareness of the issues on his path, I pointed out that I was pleased to hear him confessing that he was aware of the work that needs to be done to get it right .
Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain ,some a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty
Matthew 13:7-8
I can only conclude that Jesus’ promise is being fulfilled in him as from what I can gather, he is clearly being convicted of the issues he faces. I have seen him battling through, sometimes successfully, other times he falls, but I have seen him also fighting within himself, sometimes to the point of self condemnation. But I have also seen him revived by the seed planted in him which reminds him that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And yes though his struggles are in the flesh, he is evidently going after the Spirit, he obviously wants to be obedient and do good. So he pushes forward, by asking for prayer, and offering prayer to others, by evangelising the gospel and seeking the light. The seed in him just will not be suppressed by the lies of the enemy who at every turn is sending the birds of the air to steal the word that has been deposited in his heart. So he tries hard as he can to honor Jesus by dying of himself and taking up his cross daily. He wants to do good, he strives to just as Paul points out (Romans 7:14-20) but, just like the rest of us, he sometimes falls short. But remember, the Spirit convicts and the enemy condemns.
So does that in itself disqualify him from being good soil? Or is it evidence that he is good soil? Jesus promises that the Comforter would come who would reveal to us all things but also convict us of our sin, and righteousness and judgement. The conviction that Holy Spirit brings is indeed challenging, but it is to move us into righteousness. After all the seed (The word that was deposited) seeks out the water(Holy Spirit) for refreshment, nourishment and growth. And because the Comforter is convicting him, the word that so clearly is in him also works to produce good fruit where bad fruit or no yield was present. I have seen him striving against what would have defined him in days past and rewriting his story, letting God’s word take control, and letting Jesus become sovereign in his heart. This can only be God working in him and fulfilling his promise where he is being restored to the place of purpose for the glory of God (Haggai 2:9). I can only admire the growth that as a fellow brother in Christ I can visibly see, with the seeds planted in him recently shooting up and budding leaves. I thank God for His mercy and His grace because the promised that was promised to those who would be good soil, who would allow the seed to take root, will bring truth, identity and freedom to those who believe and accept it.
Fun with soil and seed
To the question of producing grain, once the seed has taken root in good ground, the expectation of a harvest is palpable. My only advice in this season of expectation would be to water the seed , expose it to light, protect it from the weeds that might choke it out and watch God do a new thing. I believe that will help us attain a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty. Whatever the number maybe, let there be a harvest and an expectation in this year that this is your season to produce a harvest. He who has ears, let him hear!
a few extra things …..
- The seed was never in question, the word tells us that each creates fruit of its own kind. Jesus sows life because He is life (John 14:6) , and because your life was born out of your faith in Him, it is no longer you who live but Christ who lives in you ….. you get the gist!
- What you feed and nurture grows, you are hardly ever surprised by nature. If you spend time in the word it grows and takes over, rather overtakes you, and you just won’t be able to hide what has been planted in you because once the roots take hold, it starts making its way up above the soil (John 7:37-38) and it is visible for all to see.
- There is no formula for the amount you harvest, all you can do is diligently work toward the mission at hand. Once seed has taken root, the roots will start to go deeper looking for reserves of water and will not stop until the plant has what it needs. Likewise once you have embraced the Word, go out and work to produce more seed (Matthew 28:18-20). As you work if you trust in God, your faith and diligence will be rewarded (Hebrews 11:6).
- No matter how much a gardener or steward works, storms can come and destroy the harvest, so can famine and locust, so do not trust or look to what you know to sustain your harvest. (Zechariah 4:6) Do not get disheartened when things do not work out, remember there will be more seasons to harvest .
- Grab every opportunity to minister or serve. In every Bible study we always declare at the end ‘Tell somebody about Jesus’. The great commission is just another elaborate way of encouraging you be fruitful and multiply . Just remember, each tree produces fruit after its own kind, so be sure of what it is you are sowing. (Gen 1:28, Gen 1:12)
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4 Comments
As believers, we ought to always check ourselves, especially before a time a study or service, to make sure that our hearts have a good soil. Things like anger, bitterness, anxiety, fear can prevent us from understanding the word we receive (the wayside) or choke the word within us (thorny ground); it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the faith, how far you may have gone or what office you occupy: we all ought to perform a check of our hearts.
I had to tell off one of my friends one day, after service, for this very reason. While in service, she received the word with gladness and excitement, but as soon as we closed up the service, she went back to her default setting of complaints and defeat. I had to point out to her that her heart was currently a textbook illustration of a stony ground; yet she has been in the faith for years. All this to say, we all ought to check ourselves and ensure we hear the word AND understand it (we MUST make sure there is understanding) AND the produce the fruits of that word we receive AKA evidence.
Agree, Awareness of self is very important because sometimes we are very unconscious of how we come translate to others. That being said, is there a way to prepare the soil to be more fertile or ready to receive seed. What i mean is sometimes the soil/people have been damaged or hurt , so how do you prepare those to recieve in goodwill.
Are there areas in your life where you could be more like the good soil?
I recently had a conversation with a friend, and midway through, I decided to get perspective on the parable of the Sower. He quickly asked me which seed I identified with among the four. I had to pause and chew on that question which got me thinking as believers we do need to ask ourselves this same question as we navigate through our spiritual journeys cause it’s by doing so that we recognise the areas that need attention and growth, as we work towards becoming like the seed that fell on the good soil. We also get to identify what is holding us back spiritually that is the obstacles and distraction, which is more of self-reflection in this path of aiming to be more receptive to spiritual teachings, we can experience a more fruitful and fulfilling spiritual life. And with this kind of growth, we can positively impact those around us.
Bless you sir! That has given great insight sir, given the direction of your friend’s question, i would ask your perspective on whether we are only one type of soil all the time. Also can i ask what is more important to your friend, the seed or the soil and how does it affect the yield produced