This devotional is part 2 of 4 in a series based on The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8) in which Jesus compares various conditions of the human heart to a farmer’s field.
In the Parable of the Sower, four kinds of soil make up the field of our hearts. God’s Word, the seed, is planted in all four. But only one type of soil produces a crop. The remaining three soils struggle to bring forth a yield.
The second type of soil is rocky. When the seed is planted there, it sprouts quickly. But these plants have few roots and soon die. Yet the seed is good – we know because it germinates.
Rocks Are Hard Places In Your Heart
What keeps roots from delving deep into the ground so plants can receive the nutrients needed to help them become strong and yield fruit? Rocks in the soil.
Seeds germinate quickly in a rocky field because the soil is shallow. But rocks prevent roots from growing deep, so plants cannot flourish nor bear fruit. Without strong roots, plants soon wither. They cannot withstand adverse conditions.
If you’re struggling to see fruit in your life, be assured the problem is not the seed. Perhaps you are avoiding God’s nudge to deal with the hard places in your heart.
Removing the Rocks
Part of the process of preparing our hearts to receive God’s Word is to remove rocks. If not dealt with, those hard places can crowd out the roots of God’s truth.
Farmers in areas with frosty, hard winters understand a powerful truth: cold causes rocks to heave to the soil’s surface. Frigid conditions and upheaval make rocks visible. Farmers must pull them out of the soil in order to prepare their field with best planting conditions.
God often uses cold, difficult seasons in our lives to reveal the hardened parts of our hearts. As those areas come to the surface, don’t ignore them. Instead, pull them out. It may be difficult. The process may take some time and you may even need to ask for help, particularly if the rocks in your heart are especially heavy.
Yet rocks in our hearts can be removed. And when they’re gone, roots can grow deep.
Does the hard work pay off? The answer is yes … if you want your life to be fruitful.
The Parable of the Soil Series
Your Heart, Part 1: Birds Are Stealing Your Seeds!
