ICS Daily Devotions
The Right Soil
Matthew 13:3-9 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Through this parable, Jesus was giving us a “heads up” regarding the devil’s schemes which attempt to derail us from our faith in God, so that we will not fall prey to them unnecessarily.
All of us are growing spiritually at different speed, but we need to be cautious against stagnant growth. Jesus emphasizes the need for us to know the condition of our own hearts because the heart is deceitful. Yet, the Word of God is powerful, and when it goes forth, it will not return to God void but shall accomplish all that He has purposed to do. As such, the Word is often referred to as a seed; the heart of man the soil, and the condition of the heart will determine the resulting growth of the seed.
Mark 4:13 And He said to them, “do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?”
We must all deal with our own hearts because a hardened heart will not be open to the teaching, correcting and the training of righteousness that comes with God’s Word. Having the right heart and attitude is the prerequisite for all that Jesus teaches because if we are open to the Word of God, the rest of the revelations will flow. Going to church does not make us a Christian just like going into a garage does not make us a car. Instead, we need to apply the truth in our daily living if we want to walk in God’s ways and live a godly and righteous life.
The aim for every farmer as he plants the seed is to have a harvest. As long as the seed falls on the right soil, it will produce a bountiful harvest. Therefore, God’s intention is for us to build the right foundation—prepare our hearts to receive and to believe in the power of the Word.
Sermon Series: Breaking Free – What Does Jesus Want Us to Know?
