Good Soil

I was reading through a book that a beloved sister has kept of all my devotion emails. The book is filled with all the devotions I wrote before the blog came to be. Since I have been struggling to express myself this week, and since looking back over these writings has blessed me, I've decided to share some of them with you. This is one that I need to keep taped on my bathroom mirror to remind myself of God's goodness during the many storms we are braving this year. It was originally written in June of last year.

"I've been thinking about gardens. Now that Olivia and I are in our new home, there is a small fenced area in the back with a patio and just enough grass to plant something pretty. I don't know anything about growing anything, but I can learn. I just have to find someone who can teach me.

Jesus talked about seeds.  In Matthew 13:3-8, He tells the parable of the farmer who scattered some seeds.  Some of the seeds fell along the path and were eaten by birds before they could even make their way into the ground. (v. 4) Some fell on rocky places with just enough soil to make the seeds sprout, but the sun scroched the little plants, and they withered. (v. 7) Then there were the seeds that fell on good soil.  They flourished and produced up to a hundred times what was sown. (v. 8)

He goes on to explain in verses 18 through 23 that in this parable, the seeds represent the Word of God and the different types of ground represent our hearts.  There are hearts who don't understand, and the Word is snatched from them before it can even penetrate. (v. 19) There are hearts hardened like rocky ground, where the soil isn't deep enough for roots.  There are hearts like thorny ground, where life's worries and troubles choke the power out of the Word for them, making it unfruitful. (v. 20-21) And then there are hearts that are good ground, where the soil is soft enough for the Word to make its way in, grow roots, and flourish.

Do you know what makes the ground soft? It's the rain, of course! Psalm 65:9-10 says of God, "You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly...You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops."

We Christians speak a lot about "rain" and "storms" when referring to trials and troubles.  There's a reason for that.  If the rain never came, the land would become a scorched desert. The same is true for our hearts.  Without the troubles and struggles that humble us and teach us who God really is, our hearts would become dry and hard, and nothing good would ever grow in us.

God "sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45), not as punishment, but as blessing meant to soften us and prepare us for spiritual cultivation. If you continue on in Psalm 65, you will see what blessings those showers will bring.

"You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.  The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.  The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing." (Psalm 65:11-13)

Remember this passage the next time you're standing in a downpour of trouble.  Resist the urge to run for cover. Instead, turn your face toward the sky for a moment and just drink it all in.  Be drenched in God's blessed rain, and you will be astounded at the crops you will one day yield."

Father, thank You for the beautiful way you use everything for my good. (Romans 8:28) Teach me today how to embrace the rainy seasons of my life. Show me how to trust that you are only preparing me to be good soil that will grow Your Word in abundance.

In His overflowing love,
Amy

copyright 2009, Amy Wallace

Note: We still have planed nothing out there.....the weeds abound.