"...A sower went out to sow his seed..." Luke 8:5
The seed of God's Word is always productive. The only variable is the soil of our hearts. In the parable of the sower Jesus discusses different kinds of soil:
1) Hard soil. In Bible times hard-packed footpaths ran alongside the farmer's field. Any seed falling there just shriveled and died. Be careful; when you've been walked on and disappointed, you can become callous; you can develop a tough, impenetrable shield that makes it easy for satan to come along and steal the seed of God's Word before it has a chance to grow. Prayer will keep that from happening, so '...break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord...' (Hosea 10:12 NIV).
2) Superficial soil. In Jesus' day much of the farmland was just a few inches of topsoil over rock, with nothing to sustain roots. One Bible teacher writes: 'Superficiality is the curse of the age. We live in a world of shallow relationships, superficial conversations, and hurried moments of prayer. We bounce from one spiritual activity to another without any real root system.'
3) Cluttered soil. This ground was overgrown with weeds. There was no room for anything else. Clutter happens so easily, and it's dangerous because it's so subtle. Ever notice how often you're bombarded with guarantees that material things will bring you happiness? Like the car manufacturer who advertises, 'You can't buy happiness, but you can drive it!' Get real! Do a soil analysis and weed out anything that's hindering your spiritual growth. Once your heart's tender, your devotion deep, and your life uncluttered, you'll be good ground that yields fruit for God.
UCB Word For Today 23 May 2010