MATTHEW 13:23: “But the one sown on the good ground — this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.” CSB

OBSERVATION: Do you want to be fruitful in life? Do you want to see the blessings of God multiply? Do you want to be a blessing to others?

THEN – PROTECT YOUR SEED!

So often when I read the parable of the sower my focus turns toward the things that rob God’s seed (His Word) from my life. There is the enemy (the birds of the air) who comes to steal away the seed. There is the lack of depth (rocky ground) that stunts the growth of the seed. And, there are the cares of this life (weeds) that try to choke out the seed. All of these are opposed to God’s harvest in our life. What can we do?

WE CAN – PROTECT OUR SEED!

Years ago I tried to plant Saint Augustine grass in my backyard in California. I made several mistakes in doing so. First, I planted plugs of Saint Augustine at the wrong time of the year – May. June is normally a gloomy month in California and the little plugs never got the sunshine they needed to get a healthy start. And, then I had two German shepherds who thought that the plugs were toys to dig up. I had a problem.

I could have given up and counted my losses. However, I had spent a lot of time and money on this project. If I was ever going to have a lawn I needed to – PROTECT MY SEED! There were things that were out of my control (the weather) and things that were within my control (my dogs). I had to put a plan into place.

Eventually I had a great lawn in the backyard. I did not grow the grass – God did! Yet, I PROTECTED THE SEED! I built a dog run so that my dogs did not run free when we were at work, as this was the time they did all their digging. I hand watered the little plugs and made sure to keep the weeds from overtaking them. And, I prayed for sunshine!

When God plants a promise of His Word in our hearts we need to do the same thing. We can not just assume that it will grow and produce its full harvest without any effort on our part. We do not bring God’s Word to pass, but we do PROTECT THE SEED!

• We protect it from doubt by abiding in prayer, worship, and God’s Word.
• We allow the seed to establish deep roots by yielding to the Holy Spirit’s tilling of our heart to remove the rocks that would hinder the seed’s development.
• We lay all of our cares and concerns on the altar before the Lord, and refuse to pick them up in our own strength, as we seek first His Kingdom in everything.
• And, we water the seed He has planted in our hearts with faith and hope as we abide in Him!

Fruitfulness in our lives is the gift of God through His Word. Just as a seed grows from the ground, so His Word grows from our hearts and lives. Yet, in both, we have a part.

OUR PART IS TO – PROTECT THE SEED!

Fruitfulness is the will of God for every believer. Yet, we have forces that will always try to prevent this from happening. However, we have God’s blessed assurance that if we allow Him to cultivate the ground in our hearts, if we continue to water it with worship and prayer, and if we continue to fertilize it with the Word of God – we will reap a bountiful harvest!

• “The soil produces a crop by itself — first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head.” Mark 4:28 CSB

• “But the one sown on the good ground — this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23 CSB

Lord, as I begin my day today, I ask you for grace to protect the seed that You have sown in my life. Search my heart, know my ways, and remove anything in my life that would prevent your seed from the harvest you have intended.

Today I purpose to water and – PROTECT YOUR SEED!

In Jesus Name!