FRIDAY December 13th
Matthew 13:18-23
‘“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”.
Any farmer that sows seed will be looking for the best possible harvest he can get from it, yet at the same time knowing that there are external factors which will affect the success of the harvest. A good farmer will do his best to get rid of the rocks before he sows, some even put up scarecrows to prevent losing seed to the birds and fences will be put up around the perimeter of the field to stop folk from walking over the field, destroying the seed, and he will do his best to maintain it sufficiently to stop the weeds from growing. Now when it comes to this parable, we need to be not only those who have had the seed sown in our hearts, but also like a farmer to do whatever we can to bring us to the place of fruitfulness.
We need to guard our hearts in such a way that the seed sown is protected and does become fruitful, and some of the means available to us is to read the word of God, to spend time in prayer, to regularly be found in a place of fellowship with other believers and to learn to say no to activity and places and even people that could so easily distract us spiritually and cause the seed to be ineffective.
Jesus gives us an insight into some of the external factors that may affect the seed of the gospel that is planted in our life and in the lives of others.
The evil one comes and snatches it away, and Peter tells us to be aware of the devil who goes about like a roaring lion seeking those who he can devour.
Jesus spoke of those who received the word with great joy, but only last for a while, he says that tribulation and difficulties cause them to fall away, we need to ensure that we become rooted in the word of God, standing firm in the armour he has provided for us so that when these things come against us—and they will—that we are able to stay rooted and to stand firm.
Then Jesus spoke of those who having received the seed become tangled by the thorns which speaks of the cares of the world, and we need to be careful as to what it is we allow our lives to be filled with or overtaken with, for this world is full of thorns that are ready to choke us and cause us to fall away.
But thankfully there is seed that lasts, seed that survives the attacks of the enemy, seed that survives tribulation and difficulties, seed that overcomes the cares and the deceitfulness of the world and becomes seed that is fruitful, some yielding a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold and some any other fold in between. We should all strive to bear as much fruit as we possibly can, but at this point I say it is better to bear some fruit, however low the yield may be rather than to bear no fruit at all
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How is the seed that has been planted in your heart doing—may God by his Holy Spirit enable us all to be fruitful, giving joy to the One who gave his life for us. May the kingdom of God be found within our hearts in such a way that we will also be willing Sowers, telling others the good news of the gospel, after all ‘Jesus the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast’, may our hearts long for others to also come and to know the sweetness that is found in knowing Jesus.