Behold, a sower went forth to sow. – Matthew 13:3
My son and his wife recently remodeled a part of their home in South Africa. During the process, part of the front yard had been used as a staging ground for the work to be done. Lumber, concrete, gravel, footsteps of the workmen, and all other types of traffic had beaten down the existing lawn to an area of hardened dirt.
One day while my wife and I were there for a visit, I suggested to my grandson that we stir up the soil and plant some grass seed. My grandson accepted the challenge. With shovel and rake in hand, he went to work and prepared the ground for the grass seed. After picking out rocks, wood, and other debris, it was ready, and we put in the seed.
I told my grandson that he would need to keep the area watered, and whenever he was at school, he asked me to take care of that detail for him. In a few days, a new lawn was growing in the place of the dirt and trodden-down area. You would not believe the excitement as everyone viewed the new grass! Since we have returned home to the States, we hear the new lawn has thrived, and it has been mowed regularly with the rest of the lawn.
Today, we have an opportunity to allow the seed of the Word of God to be planted in our hearts. We must be careful that our hearts do not become beaten and trodden down by all of the “traffic” in our lives, much of which is perfectly legitimate. Our friends and associates together with the literature we read, the TV programs we watch, our pursuits of pleasure, our personal ambitions, and our private thought life, can all be detriments to allowing the Word of God to take root in our lives.
What shape is your spiritual “lawn” in today? If it is showing signs of neglect, go to work today and prepare your heart to receive the Word of God.
Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for Your Word, the good seed. May my heart be prepared by my taking time to be sure that nothing would hinder Your Word from taking root in my life.