Cultivate Continually

Other seeds feel among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Matthew 13:7

Just when you think you understand a verse fully, the Lord has a way of opening your eyes a little wider. This was true for me recently, when I was drawn to the parable of the sower. I have always thought of this story as depicting four different people, and from the interpretation of it, I was able to identity which ‘hearer’ best described me. Good soil, right?

Slowly but surely, I am grasping the fact that there is always something deeper within the Word of God, and there are certainly subtle truths in all that Jesus taught. So, although I still believe that this parable shows us the outcome of four different scenarios that people experience, I have been deluding myself in thinking that three of them do not relate to me.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. Matthew 13:19

How many times do we come across a passage of scripture which we find difficult to understand, but instead of delving into it, we push it to one side? All of God’s Word is seed being sowed as we read. When we push any of it aside, we leave ourselves vulnerable, for if we do not understand God’s truth then how can we live it out?

The cares of the world choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. Matthew 13:22

Another way we become vulnerable is by not keeping God front and centre every day. There are so many things that demand our attention, and if we are not careful, the time spent with God gets lost in the busyness. The cares of this world can easily take over, and the seeds we should be cultivating end up being choked by the other priorities in our life.

Tend to the soil of your heart and don’t let thorns grow where fruit trees should be. Keep gleaning from every seed sowen into your life, and grow in the knowledge of God.