Today's Reading:
- Luke 7:36 - 8:3
- Luke 8:4 - 21
Luke 7:36 - 8:21
The first part of chapter eight tells the Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed. I recall reading this parable and its explanation before -- not once, but twice! The first time I read and wrote about it was while reading the book of Matthew, and the second time I read and wrote about it was while reading the gospel of Mark.
The parable is about a farmer who scatters seed. Some seed lands in pathways and gets stepped on and eaten by birds. Other seed falls among rocks. It starts to grow and then wilts. Still other seed falls among weeds and eventually dies out. Finally, some seed lands on fertile soil and produces an abundant harvest.
Here is a summary about what each type of seed represents:
- The Seed Eaten by Birds
- These are the people who hear the message of Jesus Christ, yet Satan speaks to them and therefore these people do not believe, and never get saved.
- The Seed that Landed in Rocks
- These are the people that joyfully receive the message of Christ, but have no roots. Therefore they believe for a time but fall away to temptation
- The Seed that Lands Among Weeds
- These people hear and believe the message, but the message is soon crowded out by the pleasures of this life.
- The Seed that Falls on Fertile Soil
- These are the people that hear the message, cling to it, and produce their harvest.
- The Seed Eaten by Birds
- If you hear the message of Christ, but are still struggling to believe -- don't give up. Keep doing what you're doing -- reading Christian blogs, talking to friends who are saved, perhaps reading a bit through the bible. Visit a few local churches, see if you can feel the spirit moving in you. Better yet, take a preemptive measure and pray for your spirit to be moved! I know it seems odd to pray to a God you're not sure you believe in yet, but whether or not you believe, He is there. And he is not willing that any should perish without knowing Him. He will soften your heart. So open your heart, feel -- and kick Satan and all those little doubts out to the curb.
- The Seed that Landed in Rocks
- You're on the right path! You felt the joy of the Lord take over your spirit. But maybe you lost your way. Perhaps you got angry at the Lord, perhaps you got preoccupied with life and forgot how the joy of the Lord made your heart sing. The good news is you can get that back at any time. Pick up your bible, start studying it. Pray for the Lord to overtake your spirit once again. Focus once you receive it. Study the Word -- the Word is your roots, so plant them firmly now.
- The Seed that Lands Among Weeds
- It's time to get out that weed whacker! You've heard the message, but perhaps it didn't overtake your spirit completely. Perhaps deep down you know there's a God, but you figure you have time to add Him to your life. For now, you're just going to live your life the way you want to and think about salvation later. Life does not stop being fun just because you become a Christian. And your life doesn't instantly have to become perfect, either. You need to bring God into your life NOW. There might not be a tomorrow. There might not be a tonight! At any moment you could die, or Christ could return. I used to be among the weeds. I knew the Lord was there, I had deep faith in the Lord, but I didn't listen to His call. I would sometimes wake up in the morning and run to my children, afraid that the Lord had returned overnight and taken them and left me. I used to wish the rapture would hold off just long enough for me to "enjoy" my life. What I didn't realize is that enjoying life and obeying the Lord are not two separate things at all. In fact I feel more satisfied with my life now than I ever have before. So keep that in mind -- it's not a choice between enjoyment and faith -- the two go hand-in-hand.
- The Seed that Falls on Fertile Soil
- Congratulations on growing maturity in your faith!
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