Faith Forum ~ What Kind of Soil Are You? By Gloria Wessner

As springtime approaches, those who make their living off the land and those who love to grow gardens and flowers are giving thought to the kinds of seeds they will plant and the varieties that will do the best. This is important depending on the kind of soil they have where the seeds will be planted. Especially for farmers, the type of soil they have on their land (along with weather patterns, precipitation, etc.) determines the type of crop or crops they will plant and the kind of harvest they receive.
When seeds fall on any other ground besides the fertile, cultivated soil they were intended to be planted in, they do not grow or produce the bountiful crop that was anticipated. Otherwise the roots do not go down deep and will wither, as they cannot get the moisture they need under the hot sun, or weeds grow with the seeds and suffocate them; these are among some of the conditions that can happen. Here in our area we are blessed with highly productive soil that is used to grow a wide variety of agricultural crops.
Our hearts are like soil waiting to be planted in. We need to be careful what we allow to be planted there. There are innumerable destructive forces clamouring for our attention, minds and hearts. A positive, personal and loving Force is what we should be allowing to take place in our hearts and lives. That force is a very loving and personal God who takes a deep and permanent interest in you. Depending on where we are at in our journey towards, or with, God will determine the effect that His words have in the soil of our hearts. Jesus spoke directly to us about this in a parable (story)*, and then explained it to his disciples (helpers) after he spoke with the crowd.
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
“Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one (the devil or Satan and his destructive ways) comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Matthew 13:1 – 9, 18 – 23 NLT, parenthesis mine)
What kind of soil are you? No other human being, energy force, karma, positive thinking or any other power, good or evil, can hold a candle to what God is or what He can offer in a personal way to you.

Readers are invited to write Gloria at:
gloriawes@hotmail.com, and I will be glad to get back to you.

*Footnote: Jesus gave the reason why he spoke in parables or stories instead of just plainly saying what he meant: “His disciples came and asked him, 'Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?' He replied, 'You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand.” (Matthew 13:10 - 13 NLT)