ESOCS Devotional 29 September 2021
TEXT: MATTHEW 13:1-9
MEMORY VERSE: “Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up” (Matthew 13:3-4 NIV).
A farmer wishing to sow seeds, will have need for a fertile farm land. An unprepared farm land would result in bad harvest. Therefore, he needs diligence, thoroughness, and carefulness in his work. He will not sow “on the way-side”, “stony places”, and thorns-infested grounds. The concentration will be in sowing on goodly land for higher yield.
A preacher is likened to the Sower in the parable. Therefore, he is admonished to preach the word in the right places, in season, and out of season. If the right things are not done, some of the audience may lose the word of God they hear to the “fowls of the air” (demons and cares of life); others to the “stony sun scorching places” (life challenges) because they are not rooted in the word of God. Others would “fall among thorns” (wrong kind of people and friends), and the word they receive would be choked out of them, and with much damage too.
A preacher must be strategic, as Jesus always was. He knew when to teach His apostles alone. He knew when to drive His message home into the hearts of the crowd, and how to do it. He was in the habit of taking them to secluded environments, in many cases, to shield them from the spiritual noise of the world.
In like manner, we are expected to make ourselves fertile grounds for the word of God to enter, germinate, grow, and blossom. We should open our hearts and minds to receive and retain the word in us. If we do so, we would grow, become mature, and produce “the fruit of the Spirit,” which is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). We would be fruitful too.
- Make your heart a fertile ground for planting God’s word.
- Lord, give me the wisdom to make my heart a fertile ground for your word.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Jonah 4:1-11; 1 Kings 9:15-28; 1 Corinthians 14:22-40
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ESOCS Devotional 29 September 2021
