Today, we’re going to wrap up our discussion about the parable of the sower with the concluding thought that in order for soil to stay healthy, it must be cared for.  

My Grandpa Persley, who lived with us in Oklahoma for awhile when I was growing up, had a garden in the backyard, and he never let anything in our house go to waste, whether coffee grinds, eggs or old produce. As disgusting as it looked, he used all of that stuff to make compost that would enrich the soil and enable the seed he planted to grow up healthy and to its full potential. Later, after he moved away to Missouri, his garden was still there, but no one took the time to care for it, so weeds took up residence and within a short period of time, it was completely overgrown.

Friend, this is a great analogy for life in the Kingdom of God. If you want the soil of your heart to be healthy and robust, you must make time to take care of it; in fact, you need to work on it every day. Like the farmer, the craftsman or the bricklayer, you must surrender the belief that abundant life comes easily and be ready to devote time and concentrated effort to pursuing the things of God. Learn to love the sweet fruit of faithfulness and endurance, which you will taste only after it has been cultivated and harvested in your life. Seek first His Kingdom, lean into His promises, encourage yourself in the faith, and never give up on your divine destiny, even when the road is steep!