The Fertile Soil

Matthew 13:1-23
"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.

But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.' The disciples came to him and asked, 'Why do you speak to the people in parables?' He replied, 'Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:
Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

'But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The parable of the sower is my absolutely favorite parable! 

As we can see, the different types of soil are the different types of people who hear the Word of God. They differ in their abilities to grow seeds. The hard ground represents those who have hardened hearts toward scripture and have no roots to keep them steady. The rocky soil represents the person who knows the Word, but is not rooted. When storms come, the roots are ripped out by the wind. The thorny soil represents the person who knows the Word, but struggles with pride and sin and cannot withstand the storm. But the fertile soil represents the person who carries the Word of God as they as carry their cross daily. It bears more fruit than all the other soils because it is rich and rooted in the fertile land. 

So my question to you is... which soil are you?

Are you the fertile soil? Are you connected to the vine and getting the nutrients your soul needs from the roots? 

I have learned to live with hands held high in surrender. Because I fall into the category of the other soils often.

I have known the pain of the rocky soil.

But God is doing something big in my life and He is doing something big in yours, too.

Be the fertile soil, Sister. Be a tree of life that bears much fruit. Even when winter comes and the Sower prunes your leaves, you stay strong and tall because it is He who gives you strength to stand.

1 John 15:5-8
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

Much love,
Mallory