Word IMPACT!ಮಾದರಿ

Day 12

THE SOWER SOWS THE WORD

Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15

The word has latent power. The word refines, tests, and tries. The word of God is alive and powerful. Why does the operation of the word not yield the same fruit in the lives of those who hear it? The parable of the sower tells us that the type of soil has a great impact on the fruit that is produced. Soft, well-prepared soil produced great crops, while seed that fell on hard ground was snatched away by the birds.

There are four types of soil on which seed can fall. The same quality seed was used by the sower. The soil speaks of four different heart conditions of His followers.

To take care of the condition of your heart is of utmost importance. “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov 4:23) Life flows from your heart; guard it with everything you have. The heart can be “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” (Jer 17:9). Make every effort to keep your heart soft and pliable.

Seed that falls on a footpath, the hard heart, is stepped on and eaten by birds. The devil snatches away the seed that falls on a footpath. He steals it from our hearts. Without word-content, there can be no faith and no salvation. A hard heart is like a cul-de-sac. You are going nowhere.

The seed that falls on the rocky ground, the shallow heart, is received with joy, but it doesn’t take root or last long. When trials and problems come or you are persecuted for believing God’s word, your faith withers. How do you react to problems and persecutions?

Seed that falls in thorns, the distracted heart, hears God’s word, but anxiety and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Anxiety has the ability to choke the word and steal our peace. Thinking that money can solve every problem makes us unfruitful.

The receptive heart is the good soil. The word is heard, understood, and applied. It produces fruit in abundance. The receptive heart is prepared, open, and obedient. It focuses on the glory of God. Mary was quick to say, “Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

How can we keep our hearts soft? When God told Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering (Gen 22), he meticulously followed God’s orders in faith and obedience. From this account, we see several pointers to keep our hearts soft.

Abraham got up early the next morning. He wasted no time. He saddled the donkey, took two servants with him. He chopped enough wood for a burnt offering and set out to the place God had told him. His preparations were done thoroughly. They travelled for three days. He had more than enough time to turn back. He didn’t, because he trusted the God who spoke to him. He told his servants that he and the boy were going to worship.

Believing the word of God and putting it into practice is called *worship.

Father, thank You for the grace to respond like Abraham did and to follow You with trust and obedience.

*Gen 22 is the first place in the Bible that worship is mentioned.