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A WORD FROM THE PASTOR
What Type of Soil are You?
Jesus uses four different soil-types to represent four separate responses people can give to God's saving word. They are: seeds sown on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns and in good soil. In fact, each one of us may display all four different types of soil at various times in our personal lives. A good spiritual yield in life depends on how fully and willingly a person accepts and responds to the word of the Lord.
The Gospel is filled with people who have accepted the Lord's message and whose lives have been changed. In them, Jesus' words, in spite of obstacles and barriers, will produce the Kingdom. Although the seed may seem scattered at random, it will nevertheless produce amazing results: thirty-fold, sixty-fold – even a hundred-fold.
God's word never blossoms alongside greed, snobbishness, self-centeredness, and love of the "easy life." One of the blocks to receiving the word is lack of understanding or education in the ways of the spirit. A recent poll concerning religious attitudes in America showed that there was a shocking ignorance in regard to belief systems, dogmas, and the history of one's religion. "Don't care" is the trend of the modern generation.
Young people struggle in this modern society to choose between right and wrong. Someone commented about it in this way. ‘It's like two dogs fighting; one dog wants to do right; the other dog wants to do wrong. They growl at each other all the time. Which is going to win? Apparently the one you feed. Your winning point depends upon what you feed your mind and heart.'
The word of God is the central and defining dynamic of life. To know the will of God, to know the mind of God, to understand his purpose and path is all–important. Without it, you lose your way amidst all of the conflicting voices and inclinations of the world.
There are many ways to interpret the nature of good soil such as taking time to study the scriptures, prayer and devotions, actively practice the faith, have our priorities straight, trust and believe our simplest acts of kindness, forgiveness and hospitality toward others. These ways the seeds would fall "on good soil" and yield an abundant harvest.
The questions we need to ask ourselves are: Am I merely hearing God's word without understanding it? Does God's word meet with a hard heart in me? Is God's word not taking root in me? Not converting me? Not transforming me? Not enabling me to sacrifice? Then you know what type of soil you are! If it takes root in my heart, then I would yield thirty or sixty or hundred folds.
In the Service of the Lord,
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