One of the ways Jesus taught the disciples was by using parables. Parables are stories that can relate to the daily activities of life to illustrate spiritual truth. He normally used stories about farming and fishing because people could relate to these stories. On one particular day, as He was teaching His disciples, He told them about the parable of the sower and soils. It was about a sower who went out to sow seed. As he was scattering the seed, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate the seed. The other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It immediately sprang up because it had no depth of soil, and after the sun had risen, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. The other seed fell among the thorns, and thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. The other seed fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold (Mark 4:1-8).
The explanation of the parable is this: the seed refers to the Word of God, and the soil refers to the heart of the people. When the Word of God was preached or taught, the Word of God fell on the heart that didn't have good soil, so Satan, which referred to as the bird, came and took the Word of God away. Similarly, the hearts referred to the rocky ground with little soil. The Word of God was received instantly, but since it did not have many roots, it immediately fell away because of hardship or persecution in life. The seed that fell on the soil with many thorns. These are the hearts that received the Word of God, but the deceitfulness of riches and other things of this world choked the Word of God, and it became unfruitful. Finally, the seed fell on the good soil, which referred to the hearts that received the Word of God, and since the hearts were good, the Word of God grew and multiplied (Mark 4:13-20).
The purpose of this parable is for Jesus to search our hearts. Does our hearts refer to the good soil, thorny soil, rocky soil, or no good soil? God wants our hearts to be the good soil that is always receptive to His Word.
Ask yourself these questions: What type of soil relates to my heart at this moment? What can I do to have good soil in my heart? Why is it important for me to have a receptive heart for His Word?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, you know my heart. Do not let the hardship and difficulties of this life lead me away from you. Do not let the material things of this world and the temptation of the love of money take away my love for you. Please make my heart always be receptive to your Word. In your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.