DETANGLED: GOOD SOIL

DETANGLED: GOOD SOIL

Karen Connell

"Listen! A sower went out to sow seed; and as he was sowing, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocks where there was not much soil; and immediately a plant sprang up because the soil had no depth. And when the sun came up, the plant was scorched; and because it had no root, it dried up and withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seed fell into good soil, and as the plants grew and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times [as much as had been sown].” And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.” [Mark 4:3-9 AMP]

EXPLANATION
Then He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand and grasp the meaning of all the parables? The sower sows the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation]. These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the word is sown; but when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these [in the second group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy [but accept it only superficially]; and they have no real root in themselves, so they endure only for a little while; then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they [are offended and displeased at being associated with Me and] stumble and fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those [in the last group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation] and accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much [as was sown]. [Mark 4:13-20 AMP]

After years of following Jesus, I often find that my soul is not nearly as committed, diligent, intentional, or passionate as it once was. Which is astounding, given how good he is to me, and that I owe him my very life. Yet, my mind and heart wander. YUK. I hate that. More than once, I have had to come back to my first love and fan the embers of love in my heart. Does this ever happen to you?

Jesus told a story to illustrate how the message of truth and love goes out to everyone. The gospel, or good news of God, is received differently by each person, depending upon their values, their circumstance, their receptivity. Sometimes the agricultural parables are a bit hard to follow, so let’s consider a modern analogy.

Imagine someone walking across a parking lot, where you are parked. This person has a bag full of gold coins and starts handing them out to everyone she meets. Anyone who follows the financial markets today knows that gold has great value. So, you would think whoever receives the gold coins will be ecstatic, dreaming of all the investment opportunities, and will want to take very good care of them, knowing how valuable they are. But that isn’t always the case.

Life’s circumstances have a way of creating beliefs about our opportunities. Either through ignorance of the true value of gold or believing gold has no value, some folks walk away from the valuable gift. Hard to fathom, but it is true.

Next there are those who see the shiny gold coins and think, YIPPEE! I have hit the jackpot. They start looking at all the shiny things around them and how they can acquire more shiny things and immediately start spending their newfound fortune on trinkets for themselves and even for their friends. Unwilling to receive financial advice on investing, they quickly go through their fortune. They find themselves with an appetite for more things. Unable to stop spending, they accrue debt. Their friends become disenchanted because the gravy train stopped flowing their way. They are frustrated, offended, and angry that God isn’t giving them more. After all, they told everyone that God gave them the gold coins and now he is leaving them high and dry. What kind of God is this? Not their kind of God anymore.

For some, all they can see is how those gold coins are liabilities. Others might want to use or exploit them for their newfound fortune or steal from them. Worse yet, the IRS might accuse them of some kind of misconduct, and they may end up in jail. And even if all those things don’t happen, they are left with this burden of securing a new fortune, and they don’t need another responsibility.

Regardless, their conclusion is that the gold coins can’t bring good, so they refuse them, get rid of them, or bury them.

And finally, there are those who get it. They recognize immediately that the gold coins are priceless. Yes, priceless. Why? Because they not only see the finite and immediate value of those coins, but they also envision the potential investment opportunities given to them. Immediately, they hold the coins with great value, securing them, getting educated on their market value and investment opportunities. They even look at the risks and liabilities of owning gold. They proceed with their eyes and hearts wide open. As they invest and grow in their understanding, they share both their prosperity and their knowledge. As a result, their lives and the lives of those around them, are benefitted and prospered.

Let me ask you a question, do you see your circumstances, values, or your own personal receptivity like any of those told in this more modern version of The Sower? Where do you find yourself entangled with wrong beliefs or ignorance that causes you to shut down any belief that might challenge your own? Do you see the glass half empty and shun opportunity because it is too much trouble? Maybe you crave more: more things, more activity, more applause, just more.

Or do you see yourself as receiving this golden opportunity joyfully, but as life has happened, a little of all the above has crept in?

Good news! Jesus will forgive, cleanse, and allow you to begin again. Start where you are, with what you have. Turn to him and him alone. Start over, today, sincerely and intentionally. You were created to soar and only as you detangle can you take flight.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20 NKJV)

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, … (Revelation 2:4-5a NKJV)