What Kind of Soil Are You?

"Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"

Matthew 13:8

We know this parable as "The Parable of the Sower." But it could also be called "The Parable of the Soils." As Jesus interprets the parable in verses 18-23, he emphasizes the different kinds of soils and how differently they receive the seed, which is "the message about the Kingdom" (v. 19).

As a pastor and preacher, I've seen the truth of The Parable of the Soils played out again and again. As I have sowed the good news of the gospel, people have received the exact same message in such different ways. Some reject it without consideration. Some receive it with joy, but soon lose their enthusiasm. Others respond with genuine faith, but their attachments to this world soon strangle their tender commitment to Christ. And then there are still others who hear, believe, and live a life of fruitful discipleship.

Perhaps the most crucial ingredient of good soil is an openness to God: a genuine desire for God and a willingness to give God proper place in your life. Such openness comes as we recognize our need for God, and as we respond to the nudgings of God's Spirit in our hearts.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What kind of soil are you? Has your soil condition changed during your life? Is your life producing the fruit of the kingdom of God?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, though your parable doesn't give this option, I must confess I'm a mix of soils. Sometimes I hear the Word, but my heart resists its implications. Sometimes I receive your Word with joy, but fail to integrate it into my life. This lack of integration often has to do with the fact that my life is too full with other things to have space for you.

And then there are times when, by your grace, the Word becomes deeply planted in my soil, sending its roots into my heart. The result is fruit for your kingdom beyond my expectations. And the result for me is the joy of living with you for your purposes and glory.

O Lord, help me to be good soil for your Word today. Let it sink deeply into my heart, so that I might produce abundant fruit for you. Amen.