This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
We have been looking at “The Mother of All Parables.” Let’s get back to it today. Jesus said:
(Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.
The people Jesus likened to the thorny ground receive the Word; however, they have allowed their lives to become “full of other things” as well. The picture Jesus gives us is one of competing priorities. The seed of the Word has been sown in their hearts, but so has other seed. The Word is in there, but so are cares, the love of money, and selfish desires. So while the Word is attempting to grow and produce, there are weeds competing with it, and in this case, the weeds overtake the Word.
The analogy that Jesus uses is one where our hearts are soil. The soil in our hearts is so fertile that it will cause whatever we sow into it to grow. Today I will point out that the soul in our hearts does not discriminate.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Let’s say you own a beautiful orange grove and plant apple seeds in it. It won’t take long before the soil will produce apples. The soil will not fight back and say, “Hey, oranges is what I produce!” No, the soil is going to produce whatever you sow into it. So if you sow something you don’t want, you are going to produce something you would rather not have.
Just as the soil of the earth is designed to bring forth what is planted into it, your heart functions in a similar way. Your heart doesn’t discriminate or selectively choose what to produce. It receives and nurtures whatever seed is sown into it. Therefore, it is crucial to be mindful of the seeds you sow into the soil of your heart, ensuring they align with God’s Word and His purposes for your life. Remember, the harvest is determined by the seed you choose to sow.
2. All soil knows how to do is crack open seeds and produce whatever is IN it! You can’t sow apples and then pray for oranges. Whatever a man sows is what he is going to reap (Gal 6:7). The soil doesn’t discriminate. It simply receives whatever you sow into it, it cracks open the seed, and it causes whatever is IN the seed to produce. This is the picture Jesus gives us for both His Word (seed) and the things that compete with His Word (seed), like the cares of this world, the love of money, and the lust for other things.
Just as the soil has the innate ability to crack open the seed and bring forth its inherent nature, your heart can unlock and manifest what is within the seed sown into it. Therefore, it is essential to be intentional about the seed you sow into your heart. When you sow the seed of God’s Word, you can expect His promises, blessings, and transformation to take root and bear fruit in your life. However, if you allow competing seeds such as worldly cares, the love of money, or selfish desires to take root, they will also grow and hinder the growth of God’s Word within you.
3. If you don’t like the harvest you have been reaping, you must check the seed you have been sowing. You cannot sow one thing and then pray for a different harvest. The only way to change the harvest is to change the seed.
Your current harvest is a direct reflection of the seeds you have sown in the past. If you desire a different outcome, it is essential to examine the seeds you have been sowing. Are they aligned with God’s Word and His principles? If not, it’s time to make a change. You should not expect a harvest of peace, joy, and abundance if you continually sow seeds of negativity, doubt, and disobedience. Align your sowing with God’s Word and watch as He transforms your harvest to align with His perfect will for your life.
4. Jesus likened your heart to the soil in this parable. He then painted the picture of the soil of your heart receiving the seed of the Word. If left alone, the soil of your heart will crack open the seed of the Word and cause it to produce a harvest. However, if you choose to sow competing seeds into the soil of your heart — seeds like the cares of this world, the love of money, and the lust for other things — the soil of your heart will crack open the competing seed as well. Your heart will cause any seed you sow into it to grow. In this case, the competing seed grows into weeds that choke out the Word and keep it from producing in your life.
5. Your heart has the power to nurture and bring to life whatever seed is sown into it. It is essential, therefore, to be purposeful about the seeds we allow into our hearts, ensuring that it aligns with God’s Word and His will for our lives.
This is why Solomon said, “Guard our heart with all diligence because from out of it flows the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
6. The condition of your heart plays a vital role in the quality of the harvest you will experience. If your heart is filled with distractions, worries, and worldly desires, the Word of God may struggle to take root and bear fruit. However, when you cultivate a heart that is receptive, surrendered, and focused on God, His Word will flourish and produce an abundant harvest.
A heart burdened by worries, distractions, and worldly desires creates an environment that can hinder the growth of God’s Word. By guarding your heart, renewing your mind, and aligning your desires with God’s, you position yourself to experience an abundant harvest of spiritual growth, divine provision, and fulfillment in your life.
7. Recognize the importance of cultivating a heart that is free from competing influences. Make a conscious effort to uproot any weeds of doubt, fear, and unbelief that may be hindering the growth of God’s Word in your life. Allow the Word to take precedence over anything that tries to overshadow it.
Said another way, while cultivating a fruitful heart, it is vital to identify and remove any competing influences that hinder the growth of God’s Word within you.
8. Be mindful of the influences you allow into your life, including the media, relationships, and the information you consume. Your eyes and ears are gateways to your soul. Whatever you allow through your eye gate gets down in your soul. Whatever you allow through your ear gate gets down in your soul. And what is in you abundantly will come out of you eventually. So when people interact with you, it is clear to them what you have been listening to and looking at.
Whatever you give your attention to will fill your heart, and out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth will speak (Mat 12:34). Said another way, your mouth will produce a harvest based on the seeds you sow through your eyes and ears. And good or bad, you will have whatsoever you say!
9. The soil of your heart is precious and needs to be guarded diligently. Just as a gardener protects the soil from harmful pests and contaminants, you must be vigilant about the influences that enter your heart. Surround yourself with positive and edifying influences that align with God’s Word, and intentionally limit your exposure to negativity and worldly distractions. By carefully tending to the soil of your heart, you create a conducive environment for the growth of God’s Word and His purposes to manifest in your life.
That’s enough for today. In closing, if you feed your heart fear, doubt, unbelief, or selfish desires that are contrary to what you are called to do, there will be too much going on in the soil of your heart for the Word to work. The weeds in your heart will choke out the Word, and your life will produce a harvest that is NOT what God wanted for you. The sad part is that God won’t stop it. He loves you, but if you choose to choke out the Word by feeding your heart things contrary to His best, He will stand by as you ruin your life. God will do all He can to urge you to stop, but He will allow whatever you allow. He will permit whatever you permit. So guard your heart because it does not discriminate. Whatever is sown into it WILL GROW!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
I am intentional about the seeds I sow into the soil of my heart.
I align my heart with Your Word, Father, and Your purposes for me.
I sow seeds of faith, love, and obedience.
I reject competing seeds of worldly cares and selfish desires.
I change the seed to change the harvest.
I examine and align anything I allow into my heart with Your Word, will, and ways!
I guard the soil of my heart diligently. I uproot doubt, fear, and unbelief.
I am mindful of influences and choose positive and edifying ones.
I cultivate a receptive, surrendered, and focused heart. My heart meditates on You, Your grace, Your goodness, and Your plans for my life!
I remove competing influences, and I prioritize Your Word.
As I fill my heart with good things that align with Your Word, I am empowered to speak life, faith, and encouragement.
My heart is full of Your Word, free of competing priorities. Therefore, my life produces a harvest that brings glory to Your name!
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME because I live for You and You alone! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
