ACE #243: Are You Sowing Seeds on Fertile Ground?

The other day I had to go get my car repaired…again.  This time, I knew what was wrong with it up front and had already prepaid, but I would have to wait two hours for the service.

A few gentlemen came in that I knew from the dealership and I talked to them briefly.  One of them is a local pastor who I’ve known since middle school.  We started talking about the ministry work of local churches.  We talked about how each of our immediate families, children, and spouses were doing.  I began to tell him about how my husband and I are trying new ways to reach youth and young adult audiences through our various types of ministries.  He asked me if I was going to order something to eat.  I told him that I had planned on it.  He told me to order whatever I wanted and it would be on him.  He told the cashier to get me whatever I wanted.  I said to him, “Thank you for buying me breakfast.  You just sowed a seed.”  His response was, “Yes…on fertile ground.”  About thirty minutes later, I wanted to purchase some water.  I asked the cashier how much it was – with money in hand.  She said, “Just go ahead and get it.  He told me to take care of you.”  While the purchases were not large ones - the purchase was done with good intent.

My question today is, “Are you sowing seeds on fertile ground?”  The key to your blessings, or your harvest, is in the type of seed you sow and where you choose to sow it.  If you sow in rocky places or among thorns your harvest is empty.  But if you sow among good soil, which produces a crop, your harvest will be multiplied – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown!  Did you catch that?  The size of the seed is not the issue...the soil in which you choose to plant your seed makes the difference!

 

That’s the Word of the Lord.  I invite you to read it below.

 

 

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13: That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² 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. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ 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.’^[a]

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ 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. ²² 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. ²³ 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.”