"Behold a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and scorched them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop--some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 13:3-9).
Because it's spring, I'm reading and studying the gardening parables of Jesus. This morning I was reading about the different soils where the farmer sowed his seed. The one about the "thorns really spoke to my heart. In Christ's Object Lessons, I read, "thorns of sin will grow in any soil...but grace must be carefully cultivated" (pg. 50).
I see this all too well in my garden. Even though the soil is just waking up, already I've found weeds growing! Last fall I laid down some cardboard where I wanted to lay some new brick paths this year. You would have thought after no light and wintry temperatures, nothing would be growing under there. But unfortunately for me, sitting green and thriving under that soggy cardboard was my gardening arch-nemesis--Creeping Charlie! Nothing kills that weed! It can grow anywhere!
But my flowers and veggies are more like grace. They need proper nutrients as well as light and water in order to thrive. And the same holds true with God's grace. If I want those heavenly qualities like faith, patience, and courage to grow in my life, I must give them the right conditions to grow. I must prepare my soil. That's one of the 1st lessons a gardener needs to know--whether you're growing geraniums or tomatoes--you won't get much out of the garden if you don't put anything in.
So I need to follow the same routine when it comes to growing in grace. Soil preparation is a must. So every morning, I prepare my heart by spending much time in the light (soaking up heavenly truths from God's Word). Weeds won't get so easy a foothold if I'm absorbing the light of truth and drinking in Christ's living water.
"Sow the seed under the right conditions, and it will develop its own life in the plant. Receive into the soul by faith the incorruptible seed of the Word, and it will bring forth a character and a life [patterned after]...the character and the life of God" (Christ's Object Lessons, pg. 38).
Why will reading the Bible make such a difference? Because the words of God, like the seeds I hold in my hand, have the germ of life inside. When I come to God's Word with a willing heart, I've set up the perfect condition to receive the very life and character of Jesus! It's so amazing, it just boggles my mind. But as Jesus said, His words aren't merely words on a page. They are spirit and they are life (John 6:63). And that life is His very own!
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