Day 15- Parables and Seeds
God is so cool. I had no idea where
to start reading today, so I asked God to really guide
me to where He wanted me so I could continue to learn
and grow. I went back to Proverbs and read chapter
4, looked up all kinds of information surrounding
it, but I just wasn’t supposed to be there.
I was getting a little frustrated because I was learning,
but I just didn’t feel like I was learning what
I was supposed to. So I just kept reading chapter
4 and the notes in my study Bible. Buried within the
notes I found a reference in Matthew, so I went there.
The reference was good, but it was actually the beginning
of that chapter (13) in Matthew where I was supposed
to be. Kind of funny how I got there, but God sure
did guide me to the right spot!
In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus gives the parable
of the sower (someone planting seeds by scattering
them). In the parable, the sower scatters seeds and
the seeds fell into four different places with four
different end results. The first kind fell by the
wayside and was eaten up by birds. The second kind
fell in stony places without much earth to grow roots.
Those seeds grew up immediately, but when the sun
came out they died because they had no root support.
The third kind fell in the thorns. As those plants
grew up, so did the thorns, and the thorns choked
out the plants. The fourth kind fell on good ground
and yielded a crop, some a big crop, some a little
less.
Now Jesus explains this parable in verses
18-23. The seed that falls by the wayside is someone
who hears God’s Word but doesn’t understand
it or listen to it, so the little bit sown in his
heart will be snatched away. The seed on the stony
places is someone who hears God’s Word and gets
excited about it, but have they have no root or knowledge
in the Word. So when trials and persecutions arise,
this person immediately stumbles. The seed among the
thorns is someone who hears the Word but cares too
much for the things in the world. So he allows the
deceitfulness of riches to choke the Word and he is
unfruitful. But the seed on the good ground is someone
who hears and understands God’s Word. He will
bear much fruit.
This really takes me back to what I’ve
been learning about the importance of knowledge of
God’s Word and the wisdom we get from walking
in His ways. Some people read Scripture and say, oh,
nice quotes, but don’t understand or seek to
understand further. We’ve all been there at
some point, when you hear or read a verse and think
how great and meaningful it is, but that’s it.
You don’t think about it any more, you don’t
look at the context it’s written in or try to
understand what God is telling you through it. We
so easily disregard it and forget about it- it’s
snatched away.
I know I’ve also been the seed
on stony ground, getting super excited about God and
His Word, but then not continuing a daily walk in
that Word to learn more. Then when I face adversity,
I don’t have His Word hidden away in my heart
to rely on and I don’t know Him well enough
to run to Him, so I crumble quickly.
And yes, I’ve also been the seed
that knows some of God’s Word and listens, but
I still get too caught up in the things of this world
and my place in it, so I get choked out before I yield
much fruit.
I’m hoping now that everyday I’m
in God’s Word and talking with Him is bringing
me closer to becoming the seed that falls on the good
ground, the seed that will bear much fruit for God.
Something else caught my mind’s eye about this
seed: every seed that grows up on the good ground
will bear fruit, but they all produce a different
amount and probably a different kind of fruit. I know
another thing I am guilty of being caught up in, even
with the best intentions for God, is how my “fruit”
compares to the fruit of those around me. We are all
members of the body of Christ (Romans 12:4), and each
of us were made and given different gifts and talents
so that we come together to us them to the fullest.
God doesn’t want one person to have it all,
He wants us each to have a part so we come together
in His name and use all of our gifts and talents to
bear even more fruit and glorify Him! I think this
might be a good verse to end on:
“For where two or three
are gathered together in My (Jesus) name, I am there
in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
Father,
Thank You for the gift of adventure through Your Word
this morning as I really sought out to learn what
You wanted me to. You gave me the endurance and desire
to continue to search all through Your Word until
I found what You wanted me to. Thank You! I’m
looking back on the parable of the sower and I find
that the seeds just reflect my life and the stages
of my walk with You. Lord allow me to continue renewing
my heart and mind by being in Your Word daily. I want
to be the seed on the good soil Lord, and as long
as I’m producing fruit for Your glory, help
me not to be concerned with comparing my fruit with
those around me as it just leads me to becoming the
seed in the thorns all over again. Thank You Lord
for continuing to guide me in Your Word and for helping
me begin to understand.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
