Soil Searching (Pt.2)

Part 2

“Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that sown in them.”-Mark 4:15

 A well worn path, one that has been well traveled, compacted, and pressed down, isn’t very receptive to receiving seed.  People have walked all over it and it has become hard. When seed lands on it, it doesn’t go down into the soil, it lays on top and becomes susceptible to being eaten by the birds. 

The hard soil reflects the hardness of some people’s hearts towards God Word. These are, often, the hardest people to reach for Christ. They don’t value God’s Word, so they don’t protect it. In fact, many have hardened their hearts against it. They refuse to receive it and so Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown. 

Yet, even though, the path is hard, the farmer in his grace still sows seed on it. We have a God that is not willing that any should perish. He sows seed on even the hardest ground, because he knows the power housed within each seed has the potential change people’s lives.Let me ask you something, if the Word of God doesn’t have the potential to change people’s lives, why would Satan bother to come and steal it from us. Satan understands the potential housed in that seed and doesn’t want to take the risk of you deciding to receive it and experience the harvest within. 

We also learn from Mark 4:5 that some of the seed fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow, but when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall quickly fall away. Jesus explain it this way:

“Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.-Mark 4:16-17

Those whose seed is sown on the rocky ground are those that receive the seed with joy and begin to experience some growth. Unfortunately, however, they never experience the full potential of that seed, because they fall away when they realize that it isn’t popular or easy to live according to God’s Word. When trouble or persecution comes, because of it, they quickly fall away. Their hearts are shallow. They don’t allow the Word of God to truly take root in them. They have an appreciation for God’s Word, but don’t see it as an authoritative rule of faith for their lives. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church