My Place With Jesus

My Place With Jesus SEEDS

But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. LUKE 8:15

Spring has to be one of my favorite times of the year. Birds seem to sing happier songs, flowers stretch upwards after a long winter’s sleep, and gardeners begin to prepare seedlings for planting.

Seeds can be planted in a number of different ways. For most vegetables, gardeners make long rows, planting seeds every few inches. But for grass and some wildflowers, gardeners will spread the seeds freely over the ground in which they are wanting the seeds to grow. This is how it happened in the parable Jesus told in Luke 8:5–15.

As the sower was sowing seed, many seeds did not land on good ground. Some seeds landed on the hard ground just outside the field and became food for birds. Jesus explained that some people who hear the good news choose not to believe in Him. Satan surrounds them with every imaginable distraction, so the seed of the Word of God is not able to take root.

Other seeds landed on stony ground. Plants started to grow up, but without enough soil to really take root, the heat of the sun soon scorched them. Jesus said this represents someone who gladly receives the words of the Bible, but because they haven’t firmly rooted themselves in God’s Word, their walk with Jesus dies off when they are faced with temptation.

Then there were those seeds that ended up among thorns. They grew well for a while, but before long were choked out by the thorns. Jesus said these seeds were like people who thought they could have both Jesus and the world in their hearts at the same time. The “cares, riches, and pleasures of life” soon choked out their love for Jesus and His Word (Luke 8:14).

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He encouraged His disciples to tell everyone they could about His love so that people could be prepared for His return (Matthew 28:19–20). God also calls us to be sowers of the seeds of truth. While we cannot control the soil in which the gospel seed lands, we can do something about the soil of our own hearts. It is important to be sure we keep our hearts free from the weeds of selfishness, the rocks of anger, and the thorns and weeds of unkindness. As we read the Bible daily and take time to pray, we are keeping the soil of our hearts in the right condition so that we may grow into dedicated followers of Jesus.

MELISSA BRADSHAW is the My Place With Jesus director at It Is Written. Melissa and her husband, John Bradshaw, have two children and live in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area.

Just as every seed contains the ability to produce a plant, the seeds you sow for Jesus can develop into “plants” that will grow towards the Kingdom of God. When you begin your day with Jesus, ask Him to lead you to good ground where you can plant seeds of kindness and truth.

AN IT IS WRITTEN MINISTRY