Tending to the Soil

GETTING STARTED

My mother has a beautiful garden with hundreds of flowers. Daily, she spends time weeding, watering, and taking care of her plants. She shelters them in the winter and moves them around when they need more sun. I asked her the secret to her beautiful flowers and she replied, “I just keep trying.” Even our hobbies, which we enjoy and love to do, take preparation and perseverance.

  • What areas of your life need care and attention?

READ THE WORD: LUKE 8:1-18 (ESV)

8:1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. List the people who heard the parable. 
  2. Why did only the disciples get to hear the true meaning of the parable? What does it mean to have “ears to hear” (vs. 8)?
  3. List Jesus’ explanation of the seed, the sower, and the soils.
  4. Do you identify with a type of soil? Which one and why?
  5. What actions can you take to hold fast and bear fruit after hearing the Word of God?

RESPOND TO GOD

We have all found ourselves at different times in our lives being each different soil, yet we long to be the good soil. With God’s help, we can continue to walk with him and be a person who bears fruit. A good and honest heart will not come without pulling weeds, moving in new directions, and seeking his living water. Good soil takes preparation and perseverance. With the Lord’s grace, we can be people who have ears that are willing to hear, receive, and act upon his truth. 

  • Pray that you would hold God’s Word in your heart and act on it.
  • Pray for God to do the same for someone else in your life.