Devotional 7-14-17

How firm is your root?

Gospel Reading for this week; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 “Parable of the Sower”

This parable is the first of many that Jesus will be teaching the Disciples and the people concerning the Kingdom of Heaven.  Although the people he is speaking with at the time for the most part are rejecting him.  In the parable Jesus uses the actions of a person sowing seeds by broadcast seeding.  On a land that is rocky, dry and where other vegetation may also grow with the sown seeds, not all of the seeds will mature.  In the first illustration, the seeds land on hard ground and are soon eaten by the birds. In the second some of the seeds land in rocky areas with some soil but not enough to sustain growth.  The third example, the seeds fall on soil but the seeds from weeds grow at a faster pace and choke out the farmers seeds.  The seeds that are sown on fertile land will grow and produce good crops some of which will produce great yields.

So how does this parable speak to us today?  First, There are those that hear the spoken Word but may reject it or let the evil one distract them from understanding the Word.  Second, The Word is heard and understood, even rejoiced, but when turmoil enters their life and their roots in faith and understanding the Word are weak they fall away.  Third, The worries of life and distractions of fame, money and things, choke out understanding the Word and the call to be Disciples for Christ.  Fourth, The Word is heard and understood with fruitful results of bringing others to Christ, “thirty, sixty and even one-hundred-fold, thus leading others to Salvation.  It also means working for Christ by using the fruits of the Spirit that we are all given.

A friend of mine recently told me his story after he accepted Christ.  He was so excited about what he had experienced he wanted to share it with others, to bring them to Christ.  So he talked with all of his friends and thought that they would attend his church one Sunday.  But when Sunday came not many attended.  He began to doubt himself.  (The Evil one speaking to him).  He prayed and tried again.  But he let Christ enter the hearts of those he nurtured and before he knew it some, then more and soon others started their journey with Christ.  So he was sowing the seeds where there was good nurtured soil.  There was one thing he didn't think about but how those he brought to Christ would themselves bring others over and over again.   All of this is preparing us, the Saved the well rooted, for the Kingdom of Heaven and we to should be increasing the yield for God !!

Blessings to all,
Fred Herr
Ref. A Christian Apologetics Blog posting by Bill Pratt