The Good Soil – Soil of the Soul
Hearts that are open to the truth of God’s word are not absent of hard times and these hearts have allowed the problems of this world and their personal struggles to draw them closer to God. Hearts that are plowed with truth in the hard places are opened and they are ready to receive the word of God. It is the word that is planted in the good soil of the heart that can produce much fruit.
We must learn how to turn our hardened hearts into good soil to receive the truth of God’s word. We are born with a heart of stone as the result of man’s fall from his created purpose. God promised to give us a heart of flesh that gives us a heart of compassion and a desire to know Him. We see in the parable those who refuse the word of God and do not continue in the word of God, their hearts were never changed. Those who allow the word of God to penetrate their hearts and change their lives are those who hearts God changed to flesh.
Mark 4:8-9 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJV
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh
People who are soft to the problems of others and to their fellow man who is struggling in this world are moved with compassion. Jesus, when He saw the multitude, was moved with compassion to act on their behalf. He did not just feel sorry for them and shake His head in disbelief as many today often do when they see atrocities and do nothing. It is the heart of God in us that moves us to action, to right the wrong, to help the needy, to seek justice for those who are not being treated justly. A heart that is open to God’s word will receive the word and act on it even at the cost of self-sacrifice. This is the example Jesus left us and told us to follow. This new commandment He gave was that we love one another as He has loved us and gave His life for us.
Matthew 9:36 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
John 13: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
When a seed is planted it must be watered in order for it to grow. Those who receive this word and are watered by the word grow and produce some thirtyfold return on their investment. Some received sixty and some a hundred fold return on their investment in God’s word. God is not playing favorites. Some believe God lets some people do well and others do poorly. But God has put His word in motion and says it is up to you and it is according to your faith in the word it will be done unto you.
Ephesians 3:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
This is a principle; a seed will produce after its own kind as long as the earth remains. When a seed is planted it goes into the ground and dies to its self. It is no longer one seed, for it becomes a sprout with roots and when watered it becomes a plant that will grow and produce more fruit. It is a process and God gives us this example to show us how we may grow and produce much fruit. Every farmer knows soil must be turned to soften the soil and some soil needs preparation and added nutrients to get the soil ready for the seed. Just as we need to keep hearing the word to grow in our faith and prepare our hearts for the work God has for us.
Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
Once the seed is planted it must be watered for it to produce fruit. Those seeds that are well watered produce much fruit and those that are without water produce less or no fruit. God has no respect for person but He honors His word. People get a return on their invested in God’s word. Our faith allows us to give in quantities that we are comfortable with. We may give in the measures of ones, some in the quantity of tens and others who venture to give in the measures of hundreds and thousands. The world calls them crazy and foolish until they began to see the harvest or the return on their investment.
God says their return will come in the same measurements that they gave. We will receive according to our planting. If we give with teaspoons God will bless us with multiplied abundant teaspoons of blessing and if we give in the measure of a dump truck, God will give us a multiplied abundance of blessing.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
It takes faith to put good seed in the ground, seed that could be used for food and profit at the moment. A farmer may know he has only a little seed left but when he chooses to plant the seed, this shows his faith in the process of sowing and reaping to obtain the amount of seed he needs for the next season. A harvest is received later than when it was sowed but it is also greater than what was sowed. So many people fail to stand firm and wait for their harvest. They give up before the harvest God promised matures. Remember we are told we will reap if we faint not. Sowing and reaping a harvest is a promise from God but we must be willing to persevere the difficult and dry times and wait on God’s abundance of thirty, sixty and hundred fold.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Integrity- People of God 