Good Soil

“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" (Matt 13:3-8).

The farmer, in this parable, is the Lord.  The seed is the Word of God.  The ground represents the hearts of people.  The good soil represents the hearts of those who are faithful followers of Christ.  As Christians, we assume that the good soil represents us and the other three soils represent the rest of the world.  However, that ain't necessarily so.

The good soil doesn't represent a class of people, it represents a state of the heart.  The good soil, free of hardness, thorns and rock, is able to receive the word of God, allow it to grow and produce fruit of the Spirit.  Good soil, however, doesn't just exist, it must be cultivated.  As Hosea said, "break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord" (10:12).

What might otherwise be wonderful ground for producing a rich harvest will remain fallow or unproductive until it is cultivated.  The ground must be plowed, the weeds must be plowed under and the rocks removed before the seed is sowed into the ground in preparation of the harvest.  In other words, our hearts must be prepared to receive the Word of God in order for it to take root and grow.

Another thing about good soil and harvest, it doesn't just keep on being good and producing a harvest - it must be continuously cultivated.  The weeds will return, rocks can work their way to the surface, the ground can become dry and hardened.  A farmer doesn't just sow his seeds and then go on vacation until harvest time, he is in the fields working the land up until the harvest.  And then, after the harvest, the ground is worked again in preparation for the next season.

Although you may be a Christian, who has received the Word of God, which has taken root, you may have allowed thorns to grow up in the rows.  The ground may have hardened again or rock may have worked their way back to the surface.  Your heart may have grown hard over the years, your fears and anxieties may have overwhelmed your faith, the soil of your heart may be fallow or unproductive once again.

As Christians, we need to continuously be seeking after the Lord.  We must be daily in prayer and in the Word.  We must be serving in the kingdom.  We must be looking for divine opportunities to share our faith and serve our God.  We must be reaching out to other, giving them a helping hand, pointing them to heaven's shores.  Good soil, is soil that is cultivated often in order to keep it receptive to the seed, allowing it to take root and continue to grow.

What about you?  Are you actively cultivating your heart?  Is the soil of your heart still broken and receptive to the Word?  Is it's soil worked daily to keep out the weeds and the rocks and the hardening effect of inactivity?  Is your heart still good soil?  Jus' Ask'n.