January 19, 2010
Matthew 13
Pastor John Edwards
At every springtime visit to a local garden center, the baby vegetable plants cower in fear. “Don’t pick me! I’ll die!” No matter how many times I repeat, “I DO believe in Miracle-Gro,” my thumb is anything but green.
Maybe that’s why the Lord provided a simple, clear contrast (much like His series of parables recorded in Matthew 13) to remind me about a vital growth principle for my life. Maybe it’s a good reminder for you too.
Our would-be home “garden” has a dusting of good soil, an additive mix that only a chemist could create and manure that I shoveled in a few years ago (now that was a day of much-needed humility!).
Yet it was the few plants in a former patio fire pit that exploded out of their roots. The difference? They got more attention because they were closer to the house, evidenced by sown-in nutrients, water and diligently plucked weeds.
Diligent attention is a key to preparing the “soil” of our lives for dynamic fruit-bearing potential. In Matthew 13:23 (The Message), Jesus said, “…seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”
Through ongoing prayer and daily reading with reflection upon God’s Word, let’s live in spiritual disciplines that result in “good earth” – a close relationship to the Lord that’s filled with daily harvest potential!
John Edwards facilitates the church’s strategic planning and public information, while serving in collaborative oversight of “Grace Leadership Network” development.
