The Sower

This morning I joined a few men from our church for breakfast at a local spot for our Saturday morning study. We were looking at Matthew 13. Jesus is telling a few stories to a crowd gathered around the shore as He was talking from a boat a little ways out on the water. There were several stories shared in that passage, but a comment was made by one of the men in the group that made me thing about the first of the stories from a different angle.

The parable of the sower is one that I would guess most Christians are familiar with. A farmer is planting and some of the seeds fall "by the wayside" which I take to be unprepared ground and have always pictured seeds landing on a road beside the field. Birds come and grab them. Some fall on stony ground and don't establish roots deep enough to stay. Some ended up in thorns and couldn't establish at all. Finally, some land on ground that's well prepared and can yield a crop.

I have always looked at that passage as one about sharing our faith. We should plant the seed of the gospel and hope that it lands where it will yield results. I believe that is the case, but the comment was that it could also be our own reception of God's Word. It got me thinking about the idea of good, prepared "ground" in my heart and mind. Am I letting the Word fall to the wayside in my own life? Is it landing on stony ground? Am I living in the thorny weeds that choke out His message to me?

Am I preparing my heart and mind to receive God's Word so it falls on cultivated, good ground that will allow it to truly take root, grow, and yield a crop that will honor my Creator? Too many times I am not. I let the things of the world choke out what He is trying to tell me. I allow my heart to be hard about things and at times His message doesn't take root, withers, and doesn't yield in me what it should. Other times I'm simply not prepared at all and it amounts to nothing for me.

I want to pursue Christ with all that is within me. I'm not great at it, but I do seek after Him. I want to take this lesson to heart. I want to hear, read, and study His stories, lessons, and direction so it will flourish. The ground doesn't have to stay in bad shape. I can work it, remove the stones, pull the weeds, and stay ready for the next thing He wishes to plant in me!