Today’s devo is a bit like a part two of my previous gardening revelations…
Last time I wrote about the grapevines growing in my backyard and briefly mentioned another vine/plant I had noticed called the Morning Glory.
Not only is the Morning Glory another vine, it is also technically a weed! Fortunately for us, the morning glories in our yard are all growing up along the fence and bring beauty to the gardenscape… rather than overtaking other plants or squashing the development of anything else.
These flowers are beautiful and literally open up and bloom in the morning. As the day continues, their flowers close up. Some of them will die and fall to the ground, while others will close and re-open the following morning… Morning Glories are kinda like the Brunch-Only Restaurant of the garden.
As beautiful as that may be, and as much as I love a good Brunch Restaurant, if they took over we’d be missing out on lots of other great places to eat. Morning glories, because they can grow so quickly and because they are like a vine and wrap around things to grow, they often smother the plants around them. (Apparently, they are also quite toxic/have side effects similar to LSD if too many of the seeds are consumed 🤯)
Anyway. I know y’all didn’t start reading this devotional to learn more about common garden plants…
When Jesus was teaching some crowds around the lake, he told them the parable of the sower. About a farmer who went out to sow some seeds. And as the farmer scattered the seeds they fell in different places and each of them had different outcomes.
Path -> the birds came and ate the seeds
Rocky Places (not much soil) -> Seed sprang up quickly but the sun scorched the plants because they had no roots
Thorns -> the seeds grew into plants but they were choked out by the thorns
Good Soil -> produced a crop “a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”
The disciples were confused about why Jesus was speaking to the people in these parables and why he wasn’t just sharing the meaning along with it. Jesus explained that there was a difference between the disciples and the crowds because the disciples had already been given the knowledge of the secrets of heaven and also so that the crowds would fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah (which would, personally, lead to even MORE questions for me). Jesus did also explain the parable to them:
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 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.
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
MATTHEW 13:18-23
Lifespring, may we always be mindful of where the knowledge of the secrets of heaven are landing within us! I believe that whilst many of us have received Jesus as Lord, there is still much for us to learn from this parable!
As we learn more about the heart of God and continue to become mature children of God, may we be paying attention to where those lessons are growing and may we be brave and courageous enough to address with action what needs to be changed.
If we don’t understand, let us ask questions and engage humbly in conversations seeking to learn together!
Let’s continue receiving the word with joy and also deepen our roots and continue to grow more secure in the Lord so that the troubles of this world don’t scorch our joy.
Let’s not allow the worries of this life, nor the deceitfulness of wealth choke out the word either! May we continue to pull the weeds out and not be distracted by the beauty of the flowers if they are beginning to choke out important growth beneath.
And, finally, may we cultivate good soil in our body, soul and spirit! Allowing the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven to take root and yield a magnificent harvest.