From time to time my children are required to bring dirt for their gardening class. The first time I got to buy some at the store, I was surprised that there were different kinds of soil, and I can choose one that could guarantee better plant growth.
And so, I remembered the Bible story about the parable of the sower. Different kinds of soil represent different kinds of heart that handle God’s truth through the scriptures.
“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:22-23
And while it is common to focus on how a person absorbs the gospel, it might also be noteworthy to shift our focus on the sower. A sermon I heard said that we might consider Jesus as the sower. That He chooses to plant seeds even in hearts that may not accept his message in the hopes that they will soon nurture faith in their hearts. That they are relentlessly invited to come back to Him, and let His word breathe life on their otherwise stressful, meaningless or worldly existence.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20
If we reflect on our own lives, we will realize that we were once hardened, cracked, dry infertile soils. Our hearts were not yet ready to receive and follow Jesus, yet for as long as we have existed he started sowing his love in our hearts. That no matter how we were too stubborn, that no matter how we have turned a deaf ear to His invitations, He just relentlessly sowed grace and mercy on our soils.
And so, now that we come to believe and accept our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, let us also extend the grace that He has given to us to others who may have yet to surrender their lives to Him. Whether it is a friend or a sibling who lost their way, a rebellious teenage child, or a spouse, we should continue encouraging them through the scriptures and tell them about God’s truth whether they seem receptive or not. Let us also not stop praying for them.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Matthew 13:3-8 and 18-23 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you feel tired of praying for and sharing God’s truth to someone from your inner circle who seems to be losing their way? How can God’s relentless invitation to you back then encourage you to continue sowing seeds of faith to that person?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for being the loving Father that you are. For not giving up on us, and for relentlessly calling us back to You. May we be effective and tireless witnesses for you and your grace my Lord, so that we can pass on the grace you have given us to others. Amen.