Where is your First Love? (Matthew 13:18-23)

 

The good soil represents the hearts of those who TRULY ACCEPT God's message and produce a huge harvest-thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.   (Matthew 13:23)

In the first place, seeing this verse would you agree that your life like mine doesn't produce a huge harvest.  By looking in the previous verses we can identify which camp we belong to.  Firstly, we could belong to those who have been robbed by the Devil  (v.19).  Secondly, to the 'rocky bunch whose roots don't go deep (v20-21).  Thirdly, we have the 'thorny, messed up group.  There is overgrowth in that one.  Moreover, distractions in their lives smother the ground like thorns.  Meeting they have to go to, TV they have to watch to keep up with the latest news.  Lastly, there is the good soil people.  They are tuned in the Vine and grow in the Word.  They let the Master cultivate their ground. The rocks and the thorns have to be cleared out.  It takes time to do all that and the Master knows best than anyone, what is good for the sheep.  He is the Great Shepherd, one, he brings up and the other, he takes down,

Indeed, he knows how to cultivate, he is the Gardener and he knows how to care for the sheep, he is the Great Shepherd.

I wonder sometimes if people themselves produce rocks or thorns.  Are you helping or hindering someone's growth?

Where is your first love?  You know? The One that you draw your blood from like he was the Vine.  The One who matters like your Daily Bread, that you can't do without or you will die and not live another day?  Is he really your Good soil, empty of rocks and thorns?

Finally, did you thoroughly till your ground for the message to be TRULY accepted, instead of just "heard and accept it" v.22? That's the difference, what good is it to hear and accept and then forget it and do nothing about it?  We must TRULY accept it in order to grow an abundant and healthy harvest.  Of course, removing the hindrances to growth is the key.

Come on, the message came at a great price!  Part of growing is doing the message...Just talking without doing is useless.  It has to bear fruit.  Is there something you want me to do with your word, Lord to make it practical?

 

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