THE SOIL

Matthew 13:23

The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

We recall this parable about the sower. 

Let us get this right, there was nothing wrong with the seed. The problem was with the soil and its environment. The type of soil were:- 

1. Footpath;

2. Shallow soil on underlying rock;

3. Among thorns;

4. Fertile soil. 

Just as Jesus explained this is the condition of the human heart. The word of God is the seed, and from His explanation what happens to the seed is as a result of the condition of the heart. 

Now who prepares the heart, is it the Heavenly Father or the man. Let us look at scriptures:

Romans 10:9-10

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Now you will not be instructed to do what you do not have the power to do. Selah

For instance, "love the Lord", it is because we can chose to or not to that the command exist! 

So our concern is the soil, that is us, with our heart as emphasis. 

There are some who have the heart of rejection, they fall under the category of atheists, philosophers, naturalists or they just don't care. They are like the way side, a footpath, they do not receive the word of God at all, thus it is lost on them. 

The second category are those who are shallow, they seem to love the Lord at the surface, but deep down they are hardened. They have not been broken, they thus cannot hold on to strong roots, thus they wither over time. Many of them are those that are held in bondage by false teachers and prophets, the true word of God is lost to them. They could get excited on the surface, however, nothing solid takes place on the inside, you could keep feeding them day after day, but it only lasts for a while they return to their original setting, waiting for the next exciting programme. 

The third category are those who have the wrong people around them and they are also influenced by them. They cannot be fully for the Lord because of their consciousness to please the flesh and fellow humans. They in no time are choked out from the nutrition of the word, and they become as if they never believed. Truly the environment matters. Who are your friends, who influences you? 

There is no wisdom in keeping people who are only interested in burning you out as friends. Are they helping you in anyway, do they edify you? As an individual there is enough challenges already, why heap the burdens of others on oneself? They would choke you out. They could even be members of your family, colleagues even church folks, they keep you in perpetual liability. They are like pests, viruses they drain you, sapping away your nutrients. To move forward one has to be delivered from these people, cut them off. 

Finally we come to the winners, the ones the sower would be interested in. They bear fruit. This ones have prepared their heart to receive God's word, they go ahead to meditate, grow and nourish. 

Again is there a role man plays here, yes. This is what Paul was talking about in Romans chapter 12:

Romans 12:2,21

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

If one resists, the Spirit cannot help them. The same power of choice that allows one to open to the Lord, is the same that can close the heart to the Lord. 

Where is prayer in all these? Intercession is key, for before you minister to anyone, there is need for God's Spirit to begin to prepare the heart. We have a spirit, it continues to seek to interact with other spirits, thus the same way other spirits influence the thoughts of man, God's Spirit can influence the thought of all men. 

This is why we see that the writers of the gospels always prayed for believers that they may grow and bear fruit. Never underestimate the power of prayers. 

Colossians 1:3,6

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

We will remain fertile, we will keep bearing fruit. 

1 Timothy 6:20-21

Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.

Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.May God’s grace be with you all.

We remain fertile and productive. So help us Good Lord. 

He calls us blessed.

Love

@the watcher.