Bible Reading: Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23
The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest. Matthew 13:23
“WELCOME TO the employment office, Mister …?”
“My real name is Germinate, ma’am, but you can call me Nate.”
“And you’re a seed, is that right, Mister … er, I mean … Nate?”
“Yes, ma’am, I’m a seed. And I’m ready to fulfill my great potential.”
“And what is your potential, Nate?”
“Tons of fruit, ma’am. Plant me in the right spot and watch the fruit fly.”
“Fruit fly? What do fruit flies have to do with seeds?”
“Just a little humor, ma’am.”
“All right, Nate, let me see what I have for you here. Ah, there seems to be a lot of openings down on the footpath. Very easy work and you can start today.”
“Sorry, ma’am, but to be fruitful, I have to get deep into the soil. Too many distractions on the surface. Besides, my friend Bud was eaten by a bird down there.”
“Mmm, I see. Okay, the foreman in shallow soil is calling for more seeds.”
“I can’t do my best work in shallow soil, ma’am. Too many rocks. I need to send down deep roots and grow tall to be fruitful. What else do you have?”
“Well, there’s always the weed patch, Nate. Things seem to grow well there.”
“Are you kidding? Those bad boys choke out the competition before it can get started. Dropping into the weed patch would be asking to be strangled.”
“You’re being awfully picky, Nate. Do you want work or not?”
“Ma’am, with my potential for fruitfulness, I deserve the best environment possible. Don’t you have some good, rich soil all plowed and ready for planting?”
In Christ’s story about the farmer, the seed and the soil are co-stars. They can’t be fruitful without each other. That’s the way it is with spiritual fruit-not apples and oranges and squash and asparagus-but the positive character qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. (See Galatians 5:22-23.)
You grow those Christ like qualities by welcoming the “seed” of his Word in your life-reading the Bible faithfully, listening to it attentively, and thinking about it frequently. As you do, the Word planted does its amazing work in you. It miraculously produces the fruit of Christ like character you long for-“even a hundred times as much as had been planted” (Matthew 13:23).
REFLECT: God sends his Word to cause spiritual growth and fruitfulness in you. What are you doing to receive that seed?
PRAY: God, I choose today to spend time reading and thinking about your Word. Thank you that you will grow fruit in me.
