According to Gallup Research, 40% of Americans regularly attend church. According to Jesus, although they are all hearing God’s Word, they are different ground, causing different responses to the seeds planted by the Word.
Some of them are the path, where the ground is hard. The seed doesn’t have a chance to interact with the soil long enough to take root before the enemy snatches it up. The person who is the path has a hardened heart full of sin, hearing but not listening to the Word.
Some are rocky ground, where the seed sprouts quickly but does now grow deep roots because there is no depth of soil. Their plants wither in the sun. The person that is rocky ground has a fearful heart, not strong enough to stand in the Word when trouble comes.
Some are among thorns, where the seed can plant and grow, but cannot compete with the amount of thorns that overtake it. The person among thorns has a greedy heart, overtaken with distractions in life and unable to grow in the Word.
Then there are those who are good soil, where the seed takes deep root, grows strong, multiplies, and produces fruit. The person who are good soil has an understanding heart, receiving the Word and growing in the Spirit. This person represents true salvation.
Which ground are you? God gave us a planet with many varieties of soil, and because of original sin, we have the choice of which ground to be. Jesus wants us to be good soil, where He can take root in our lives. If you’re in the rocks, or among the thorns, pray that the Holy Spirit will work on you to become good soil where you can produce fruit.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. -Psalms 51:10
