More Than a StoryNäide

As we have learned, the parable of the sower is all about the condition of our hearts. The seed might fall on different types of ground, directly impacting whether or not the seed grows. The same is true for the condition of our hearts and whether or not God’s truth can take root in our lives. We must take a deep look at ourselves to check the condition of our hearts. Are we truly open to receiving His Word? Similar to gardening or planting, this is not necessarily an overnight process. Fertile soil can take time to cultivate. However, the question remains: “What are you doing to cultivate the soil?”. We have to be careful, because too often we are tricked into believing that our hearts are good. As we read in Jeremiah, that’s not true! The heart itself is deceitful. The classic advice we hear, “Listen to your heart,” might not actually be all that helpful. As we saw in Mark 7, some pretty bad things come out of our hearts. All of this sounds quite bleak, but there is hope! Thankfully, Jesus came to give us new hearts, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can cultivate the soil of our hearts to receive God’s truth!