Word of the Week - Good Soil
“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew, and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty and some a hundred times” -Mark 4:8.
The principal of Sowing and Reaping is one of key truths of life both on earth from a practical sense and in heaven from a spiritual sense. Whether we like it or not, over the course of time, we will Reap what we Sow. Just like many of God’s principals within His economy, this is a wonderful truth that can really be a blessing if we understand it and align our lives accordingly.
Are we Sowing Good Seed into Good Soil - If you have lived any amount of life, you have a general understanding of how this works. If we Sow good seeds that are life giving, we will generally Reap good fruit, like for like. Of course life is not perfect and there are times when we may be Sowing good seed into bad soil or Sowing during seasons of drought that prevent the seed from sprouting and taking root. We cannot control the outcome, but we surely can resolve to continually be Sowing good seeds and look for good soil to Sow into. Since we only are given a limited amount of seed (time, resources, wisdom, influence, etc.), we need to make it our goal to find good fertile soil to sow our seed into. This is the opportunity we have each day, and over time, the sum of our Sowing is what results in the fruit of our lives.
3 Attributes of Good Soil:
Tender Heart – A softened heart is a key to receiving what God has for us. If our hearts are hard, it is very challenging to receive what God has for us. A tender heart is fertile for impartation and growth. Sometimes it takes pain to break through the shell of a hard heart to get to this place. “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” Ephesians 4:18
Teachable Spirit – No matter how old, experienced, or seasoned we are, we are all in the process of growth and sanctification. God has something new for everyone one of us to learn. Having a humble, hungry, and teachable spirit is key to being fertile soil. We must remain teachable and willing if we want the best God has for us and be 100x people. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12
Faith & Trust – In order for God to do His good work in us and through us, we must have faith in God and take Him at His word. The things of the spirit are born by us stepping out in faith and believing in something we cannot see. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen” Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the main ingredient for spiritual growth. It is the fertilizer that makes the soil most fertile. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” Hebews 11:6
Let’s be good soil and look for good soil to sow into – Its starts with us becoming good soil that God can use to reproduce. Do we have these attributes present in our own lives. Do we have pure and tender hearts that are open to receive what God has for us? Are we humble, hungry and teachable? Are we willing to listen and learn, or do we think we know everything? Finally, are we full of faith (God’s kryptonite for His sons and daughters), and willing to trust God with all of our heart and not lean on our own understanding? The greatest opportunity we all have every day is to sow into others by using what God has sown into us to be a blessing to others. I think this is called ministry and living the abundant life, the life that is truly life!!!
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”. 1 Timothy 6:19
Remember this: Whoever sows spraining will also reap sparingly, and whoever Sows generously will also Reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6
So, let’s be Good Soil, identify Good Soil, and Sow seed generously!!!!!!!!!!
Duane