Matthew 13:8The first house I bought was across an alley from a family who loved to garden. In their back yard they had a large plot of ground which they tended throughout the year. They spread fertilizer and compost on the ground in the winter. They weeded the garden almost daily in the spring and summer. They cared for the garden by tying up the vining plants and watering the ground whenever it was needed.
The result was a very productive garden year after year. Their garden was so full and thick by late summer that it was sometimes difficult to see the back of their house.
As Jesus concludes his parable of the sower he speaks of the best type of soil. What type of soil is it? What was the result?
If we will be productive children of God we must have good soil in our faith. Our hearts must be attentive to the grace and love of Jesus Christ. And as we receive the love and blessings of God we must allow this gift to grow within us so that we might produce the good fruit of God’s kingdom – care and compassion for others, generous giving, devout worship, and so on.
What is essential is that we prepare our faith to be that good soil mentioned in the parable. Just as our neighbor worked so much to produce a garden that grew a great bounty, we must work within our faith to prepare the soil. We must keep ourselves from growing hard in our emotions – becoming like the path. We must work to bring depth to our faith, to grow closer to God through prayer and study of the Bible. In this way we will nor be spiritually shallow like the rocky ground.
We must learn to trust completely in the Lord. In this way we will prevent the thorns of life from choking out God’s goodness.
Having good faith is more than mere chance or coincidence. It is the result of intentional and fervent efforts on our part to become better Christians.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you make your faith productive?
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