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Matthew 13:1-23 Seeds and Sowing

by fol CHURCH on April 18, 2018

(This passage is also referenced in Mark 4:1-20 and Luke 8:4-15)

 

I read the passage for today and thought, “Ahh the Parable of the Sower story - brilliant”. In many ways this was Jesus at His very best. Expounding the wisdom of heaven in ways that opened it up to those who really wanted to hear the gospel.

The traditional way of reading this story is to take it as Jesus unpacked it to the disciples. The seed on the path is about people who hear the word but don’t really understand so their faith fades rapidly. The seed on the rocky ground is about people who don’t really develop a lifestyle rooted in the gospel so their faith also fades away quickly. The seed that falls among thorns and weeds represents people who have faith but get caught up in the troubles life throws at them so in their distraction they lay aside their relationship with God and finally the seed on good soil speaks of those who receive the gospel and sink deep roots into it, living in the abundance that comes from being deeply connected with God.

I find myself a little challenged with this though because I’m aware that if I break my life down into sections there are places where I allow God to enter and places where I am more reluctant to open the way for Him. There are parts of my being that I have opened up to Him on occasion and then closed and there are places where I find I get absorbed by the things happening around me so I will inadvertently become distracted from God too. Then there are the parts of me that I have surrendered in full; there I know I see blessing on a regular basis.

So I don’t think we should view this teaching exclusively as something that identifies us a particular type of person but as something that speaks into the various areas of our own lives and personalities. So here are a few things to ponder:

Do you take God to work with you?

Do you let Him into your times of relaxation or your social time?

Do you allow God to guide the relationships you have with other people?

Do you allow God to direct what you watch on T.V., at the cinema or how you spend your money?

Do you let him speak to you when you read His word or pray?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Heavenly Father, please help me to include you in all aspects of my life. Remind me often through Your Holy Spirit that I am called to be fertile ground in every area.

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