What kind of path are you? Jesus told a story about a man who went out and sowed some seeds. Some seeds fell on hard ground, and the soil did not receive the seed at all. There are people like that—people who are hard, cynical, callous, self-centered, crusted over, and closed-minded. These people won’t listen. They hold God at arm’s length, at a safe distance. They will not let Him or His word penetrate their lives.
Some seed fell on rocky soil. The rocky soil represents the person who is shallow. He or she hears, gets enthusiastic, responds quickly, but then fades away quickly because there is no depth, no roots. Some people get emotionally stirred up and all excited about the Lord, but then they never put themselves in places for their faith to grow, and it shrivels and withers and dies.
Jesus said some seed fell on thorny soil. These are the people who get their priorities all mixed up. It was good soil, but it gave all of its energy to the thorns instead of the seeds. Lots of people give all of their attention and effort and energy to all the wrong things. They are unable to put God first. They have ears, but they water down the word, and they choke the life out of it.
Finally, Jesus says some seed falls on good soil. These are people who receive God’s word in their lives and work with it to bring forth new life everywhere. The message is “Be good soil, be good listeners, receive God’s word, love God with all of your heart, and be faithful.” What kind of soil are you?
-Dr. Tim Thompson