Scattered Seed
By Meg Bucher
“Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.” Matthew 13:7 NLT
The Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed tells the story of several different seeds and how the environment they were planted in and the way they were cared for determined the progress of their growth. It’s a smart and accurate comparison to our current lives and the way in which we decide to water the Word of God in them daily. This parable gives us great direction to follow, when determining to live our lives to the full, as Jesus died for. “The human heart is like receptive soil to the seed of the Word of God,” Greg Laurie explains, “The soil that the seed fell on represents four categories of the hearers’ hearts, four different reactions to the Word of God: the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and the fruitful heart.”
The Receptive Heart
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” James 1:19-21 NLT
Per his usual, James put it bluntly! Though we can’t control every thought which enters our minds, we do have a say on whether they stay. In Christ Jesus, we have the power to hold our thoughts accountable to the Word of God. In doing so, we test what is good and what is not. When we seek God, we find Him!
Unfortunately, we are very distractible! Fostering a receptive heart to God’s Word is an active discipline. Scripture tells us to pray all of the time! Any parent who has ever gotten up from their quiet time with the Lord to lose patience with their child understands! The moment we allow our minds to drift from Him, we allow distraction an audience. Fix our minds on Christ Jesus, the Bible says, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. We will never get it right and are not expected to! Jesus would not have had to die sacrificially for our sins if we were able to keep from sinning. But, living in a world cursed by sin means we constantly have to check our hearts, clear them by confession, and by the strength of the Spirit in us travel down the road of redemption. Such faith requires perseverance! But in Christ, it’s possible!
Intersecting Faith and Life:
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.” - Matthew 13:24-26 NLT
Everyday life contains challenges in discernment, trying to establish what is good and what is evil. There is very real evil in the world. The destruction, injustice, and hatred is evident. The greed grows and self becomes more prominent than neighbor. Jesus, in His parable, assures us we will live alongside good and evil. Sometimes it will be obvious, other times it will be hard to tell the difference.
The truth of the Word of God helps us recognize the lies and embrace the love and light of Christ Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the living Word of God. In Him, we are able to see with an advantage. But even then, we will not always be able to understand everything we aim to, nor find answers to all we seek. One thing we can always do …follow Jesus. He will always lead us in truth and light. He is living water. When we are thirsty for answers or direction, wisdom or comfort, we can turn to Him who is the only One able to quench our desire for knowledge, fulfillment, and love. Our self-worth is found in Christ, alone.
One day, truth will be separated from lies. “Let both grow together until the harvest,” the parable continues, “Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, burn them, and put the wheat into the barn.” We, children of God, are the wheat. Our hope is in Christ, alone. We hold tightly to the Truth, persevere and remain laser-focused on Him until the day He returns to right every wrong.
Further Reading:
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Related Resource: How Habit Stacking Will Help You Discipline Your Mind, Body, & Spirit
The process of success is not hidden. It is on display for anyone to see. However, it is a daily grind that requires a great deal of work that is tedious and often uncomfortable. Successful people simply do the work. They embrace the grind and everything that comes with it. Ultimately, successful people understand this truth - Hope doesn’t produce change. Habits do! Everyone has the desire, but many lack the necessary discipline! That’s why today on The Built Different Podcast we have a very special guest who understands the importance of discipline and habits at a very high level. Don’t just focus on changing the thoughts in your head and the habits in your life, but also allow God to transform your heart from the inside out. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Built Different Podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube so you never miss an episode!
