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.
I had a conversation this weekend with someone who tends to shift the blame for things that happen to them onto others. This is a young person, and many young people have yet to mature to the point where they accept the full implications/ramifications of their actions. I explained to this person that God does not “DO” everything that happens to them. There are many factors involved in what happens in a person’s life. God has given us the right to be free moral agents. God honors the laws of cause and effect, sowing and reaping, and the free will of humans to the point where humans even have the right to reject God and His ways. And for those who claim to love God and want to walk in His ways, their actions still impact the level at which God is free to operate because you can believe something and not be in faith for it to happen. God is looking for your faith, not just for you to claim to believe it.
I will make a connection today between this conversation and the parable of the sower.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The seed and the soil.
— It’s essential to realize that the seed (God’s Word) and the sower (God) are the constants in the parable. The only variable is the soil (our hearts). You are the soil in this parable. Therefore, you hold the key to the outcome.
— Make no mistake, how you receive God and His Word matters.
— You can be in the same place, at the same time, hearing the same Word as others, and you will ALL get different results from the Word received.
— You must intentionally make your heart good ground so you can receive and respond to God’s Word.
2. Do all you can to understand God’s Word.
— The wayside soil received the Word, but these are the people who did not understand it. Since their understanding was unfruitful, satan was able to quickly come and snatch away the Word that was sown in their hearts. Don’t let this be you.
— Lack of comprehension leaves room for the enemy to snatch the Word away. To combat this, we must diligently seek to comprehend God’s Word, meditate on it, and apply it in our lives.
— Open your heart to receive and understand what God is saying to you on a daily basis because satan cannot snatch a Word you understand. Once you have it and understand it, it becomes part of you!
3. Deepen your faith.
— The rocky soil received the Word, but these are people who did not allow the Word of God to go deep into their lives. They only receive God on the surface. As a result, when trouble and persecution come because of the Word (quick note, the power of the Word attracts opposition from satan), these people are quick to give up.
— These are the people who embrace God’s Word superficially. To endure challenges, we must allow the Word to take root deeply within us.
— If you allow the Word of God to go DEEP into your heart, you will develop unshakable faith, and you will stand firm when adversity comes.
— If you do not allow the Word of God to go DEEP into your heart, you will have no staying power!
4. You must clear out the weeds and thorns in your heart.
— The thorny soil received the Word, but these people have allowed their lives to be “full of other things.”
— The Word can’t work in their lives because they are too consumed with the cares of this world, the love of money, and their lust for other things.
— While the Word is trying to grow in their hearts, it is choked out by all the other things these people have allowed to take priority over the Word.
— This ground represents the people who have allowed their lives to be entangled with competing priorities and constant distractions from their purpose. These distractions choke out the Word. To avoid becoming like this, we must prioritize God’s Word and purpose over everything else, decluttering our hearts and minds to focus on His promises.
5. The condition of your heart matters!
In the parable of the sower, in every case, the sower (God) was attempting to get His Word (the seed) inside of people. But the people got a vote. How they responded to the Word mattered in the parable, and it matters in life.
— The soil’s condition determined the outcome in the parable, and the condition of your heart will determine the outcome in life.
— We are free moral agents with the power of choice. God respects our decisions and operates within the laws of cause and effect. Let’s be accountable for our actions, understanding that our choices and actions have consequences.
— God desires to fully operate in our lives. But for that to happen, we must willingly cooperate with Him. Our actions, choices, and faith align with God’s Word to unleash His blessings.
— The good ground in the parable represents those who embrace and nurture God’s Word. By immersing ourselves in His teachings, discovering our purpose, and living in alignment with God’s plan, we can flourish and yield an abundant harvest.
— Don’t be the like the young person I talked to who blamed God and others for everything. You must realize that you get a vote! Your decisions and actions matter. You have a choice to make with God’s Word. Will you allow it to transform your life? The Word works. The same sower provided the same seed to four different types of soil. The issue was not with the sower or the seed. The issue was with the soil. So please, check your heart today! Stop blaming God for where you are in life. Where you are today has a lot to do with the decisions you made yesterday, and where you will be tomorrow has a lot to do with the decision you will make today. So choose wisely!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
My heart is good ground, Father. It is a place where Your Word can take root and thrive.
I know that how I receive Your Word matters. So I diligently seek to comprehend and apply it in my life.
I deepen my faith daily, allowing Your Word to go deep within me. As a result, Your Word empowers me to stand firm in the face of adversity.
I declutter my heart and mind, clearing out distractions and prioritizing Your Word and purpose above all else.
I take responsibility for my actions, knowing my choices have consequences.
I willingly cooperate with You, aligning my actions, choices, and faith with Your Word for Your blessings to manifest.
I am the good ground, nurturing Your Word, flourishing, and yielding an abundant harvest.
I reject blame and excuses, embracing the power of Your Word to transform my life.
I make decisions that align with Your Word, knowing that My choices today shape my tomorrow.
Living this way, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
