¹ He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. ² And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, ³ “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;  Mark 4:1-3

      If you have been following this blog, then you know I am spending the next few blogs discussing the importance of this parable.  The promise from the Lord here is if we can understand this parable, we can grasp the meaning of the rest of Jesus’ parables.  It is imperative all believers get this one right!  The thrust of what Jesus is relating to His followers is that they are all in a process where the Father is trying to get revelation (the word) into their lives.  Jesus compared this process to the way a farmer sows seed in His field.  Are you a good field?  Have you ever thought of yourself as a field or garden?  You may not but the Lord does! 

God is Sowing! 

       The Father is always sowing His word into our lives.  It is a guarantee.  The question is not whether God is sowing.  The question is are we good soil for the Lord’s revelation or seed?  Back in Jesus’ day farming was done a little different from today.  Farmers today plow first.  In fact, many disk the ground first before they plow and plant seed.  In Jesus’ day farmers many times would scatter their seed first and then come by later to plow it under.  Keeping this thought in mind.  The Lord sows His seed (word) first into our hearts and minds, then He expects us to plow that good seed under.  It is important that we grasp this picture.  Why?  The seed or word is being given out to all.  Yes, it may fall in difficult places to grow, like in thorns or around rocks.  Whereever it originally falls, it doesn’t have to stay there.  Those revelations and words from the Lord can be plowed under to assure growth.  If they are neglected, then eventually they will die. 

The Emphasis In This Story Is The Condition of the Soil

      Now we know why Jesus told this story emphasizing four different soils.  The truth of whether God’s word has effect in our lives lies on whether we are good ground for His revelatory actions.  We hear of people complaining about “how difficult” it is to discern and hear God speak.  According to Jesus, God is continuously sowing in our lives.  So the major problem is not God speaking, but whether we are plowing under the words we have already received.  What farmer would keep sowing regularly in fields where the seed kept dying?  Jesus told this parable so we might all know the importance of receiving the Father’s revelation in readiness. 

      So let’s get right to the issue at hand.  What have you done with the words and revelations you have already been given?  It is important we be honest with ourselves and the Lord.  If our desire is to get “the Lord’s sowing process” right, then we must repent for our neglect and purpose to respond differently.  This shows the Lord we are serious and will be good soil in the future.  Lazy Daisies are waiting for the Lord to act and respond differently so that they might hear from the Lord.  Kingdom Movers and Shakers get with God’s system of sowing and reaping.  God is not going to change and create a special circumstance so that you might hear.  He is going to continue to move in the same fashion He always has in the past.  It is up to you to get into His revelational flow. 

      Some believers like to think God plays favorites with His revelations.  They like to believe that Noah, Joseph, Moses, David, and others like them were given special status in His Kingdom.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  A more correct picture is to view these and other saints in light of Jesus’ parable.  These great men and women of God chose to be fertile ground for God’s revelation.  Since they could be trusted, God trusted them with deeper revelations and greater responsibilities. 

     I submit to you if you make a quality decision today to be fertile ground for God, then your life will be changed forever.  Expect God to be sowing in your life and purpose to help that word grow.   Who knows, in a year your garden will be one full of beauty and grace. 

Blessings!