My husband and I are traveling around the United Sates this summer to beautiful places. The Lord has placed some very beautiful places in our path and we are very grateful. On our travels I have noticed something that reminded me of the parable of the soils in Mark 4:1-20. Many Bibles label it as the parable of the sower but I believe it is a parable of the soil because it discusses the conditions that the seed was planted in, not who was sowing the seed.
We are in the northwest region of the US where many mountains are covered with large beautiful trees and where the air is crisp and clean with streams that separate the mountains. Many times the roads will run beside the streams and I like to watch them as we ride alongside them. I noticed that some hills didn’t have anything growing on them even when a stream was flowing through them. In fact it was the same stream that was in the middle of the big trees with lush vegetation growing. Why isn’t there anything growing here? That got me thinking about the soils mentioned in the Bible. Even though there is water doesn’t mean things are going to grow. The soil represents our hearts. If the soil is hard and packed nothing can grow there, the birds will eat it (Satan will steal it out of your heart as soon as you hear the message). If the soil has gravel with no topsoil the seed may sprout quickly but when the heat is turned on the seed will die (those who hear and receive the message joyfully but because they don’t have a deep root will give up quickly). If your soil has weeds then it will grow but the weeds will overcome the good seed choking it out (you let the cares of this life and the seduction of wealth and the desires for other things crowd out and choke the message so it produces nothing). If our soil is good then it will produce a harvest (those who open their hearts to receive the message and their lives produce good fruit).
So we have a part in this. God will do the watering but WE must check the condition of the soil and make the necessary adjustments to have the good soil. Remember God loves you Jesus is the answer ALWAYS.
God is love. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run (1 Corinthians 13:13 TPT). Jesus is Lord.