Which Soil Describes Your Heart?

Wayside, trampled, birds—distracted, devil takes it “lest they be saved.”

Rocks, withered, lacked moisture—received with joy, no root, in temptation, it’s gone.

Thorns, choked—cares, riches, pleasures push it out.

Good ground, sprang up, multiplied—keep it, bear fruit with patience.

Anyone Can Hear God’s Word & Not Let It Permeate

I know that Jesus’ parable (fictional story told to make a point more clear) of the sower of seeds & types of ground it lands on, in Luke 8:4-15, is often talked about with relation to those who don’t accept Jesus, but I think it can be applied to anyone.

If you think about it, the seeds are the Word of God (truth from the Bible), not directly the Gospel (the beyond belief amazingly good news—aka Jesus dying & rising again to pay for OUR sins before God).

So, if we look at this chapter of the Bible from the POV of a Christian, what can we learn from it? What can it teach us about how we take in God’s Word?

The 4 Types of Soil

There are 4 types of ground Jesus mentions in this story: wayside, rocky, thorny, & good.

But He doesn’t leave it there. He elaborates in an explanation to His disciples of the meaning behind the different types of soil in this parable.

Jesus wants us to see a word picture of the different ways we receive His truth when we hear or read His Word. He wants us to be aware, to take notice of it. Why? Because He wants us to pay attention. He knows His Word nourishes our souls more than what makes sense to us logically. We need it more than we know.

When Seeds End Up on the Wayside–Distracted/Half-Hearted, Doesn’t Sink In

The wayside He describes, where the seeds are trampled & birds come & gobble up the seed tossed there (or, where the Word of God is heard/read), is Satan coming & snatching that truth right out of your head so that it can do you no good.

Now, to me, this sounds like reading the Bible half-heartedly… maybe because you feel you HAVE to…. Not necessarily because you WANT to. Maybe other things are on your mind, maybe you’re tired or distracted or just not into it that much. It kind of goes in one ear & out the other.

Why I Didn’t Read the Bible Regularly, Consistently

Well, this was a lot of my growing up. I assumed I just wasn’t any good at reading my Bible. I had tried SO MANY TIMES to be consistent, to “read the Bible in a year,” (funny how that’s not ever mentioned as a requirement in the Bible… aka, just start somewhere, just READ) etc. & always fell off to not reading anymore. Now, I went to church, Sunday school before church, attended Bible Studies, did devotionals, read edifying books… but as far as sitting down & just straight up reading through the Bible? Meh, didn’t feel I had the concentration for that.

I was wrong, of course. I had believed the Satan-fed lie that it was all up to me. That I had to “willpower my way through it, or else.” I thought that proved I believed God “enough” to please Him, if I could manage to force myself to do it.

And, as I said… I was wrong. So very completely wrong. No willpower needed, actually. None at all. NONE.

How God Helped Me Overcome My MANY Obstacles

All it took, my friend, was a willingness to LET GOD HELP ME DO IT. To say EVERY time, if needed, “God, why do I keep getting so distracted & off course? I am SO bad at this. Please forgive me. Will You help me stay on track right in this moment as I read? I trust that IF this pleases & honors You (which I know it does), THEN I can ALSO trust You to be MORE THAN sufficient in helping me accomplish it. So… please… help me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!”

And then… immediately… I would just START reading, & trust that God would carry me through it in His power, not mine. (He DID. Every time. Even when it didn’t feel “easy.”)

Satan is crafty. He knows how to discourage you best. Headaches? You’ll get a lot of them. Distractions? You’ll get a lot of them. Hard time concentrating? It will forever be hard to concentrate.

Whatever gets you to put that Bible down… Satan knows. He will use it.

God is stronger.

When the Seeds End Up on the Rocks–And Temptations Come a Knockin’

The second type of soil is the rocky kind. This type, Jesus says, is like the Word of God that you receive & accept so willingly, with joy… but the second that temptation hits you, you immediately forget & toss out everything you deep down knew to be true when you heard it.

Listen, I am going to say this as gently as possible… because I am speaking to myself on this as well… author Jerry Bridges hit me over the head with this truth bomb, in his book “The Pursuit of Holiness” (go read this right now—SO GOOD): “There is no such thing as victory & defeat for a Christian in regards to sin, only obedience & disobedience, because once we trust on Jesus for our sin, God empowers the victory… if we’re willing to trust it & obey.” (paraphrased)

Jerry Bridges with Regard to Victory & Defeat VS Obedience & Disobedience

“Too often, we say we are defeated by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated. We are simply disobedient. It might be good if we stop using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather, we should use the terms obedience and disobedience. When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me. We may in fact be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.

We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for thoughts, attitudes, and actions. We need to reckon on the fact that we died to sin’s reign, that it no longer has any dominion over us, that God has united us with the risen Christ in all His power and has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us. Only as we accept our responsibility and appropriate God’s provisions will we make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.” (Jerry Bridges, Pursuit of Holiness)

Do Not LET Sin Win–Surrender It to God for HELP

God GIVES US POWER TO OVERCOME! We HAVE to be WILLING to accept it, though. It takes surrender. It takes dying to self. It takes trusting God is God & knows what He is saying more so than the lies of your temptations.

But we have a choice. Once we have accepted the blood of Jesus to atone for our sin, we have a CHOICE. To sin or not to sin. It doesn’t rule us anymore.

But sometimes we let it, don’t we? Sometimes we feel out of control because we want to not stop it. We want to make excuses for it. To feel okay with it. That it isn’t really “that” bad.

But, when we do that… we are shriveling up the truth that gave life to us… that we knew in our heart was truth. Don’t allow your flesh to lie you out from under the blessings of TRUTH.

When the Seeds End Up in the Thorns/Snares–Don’t Let It Get Drowned Out

The third is the thorny ground. This ground hears God’s Word, but is so overcome by all things around that you don’t take it in.

Jesus mentions “cares, riches, pleasures.” This sounds to me like “responsibilities, routines, habits, pursuit of more, pursuit of above & beyond, pursuit of success, love of MORE, comforts, happiness, having what we’ve always wanted. Pursuit of SELF.”

I fall into all 3 of these aforementioned types of soil sometimes, or have at least in different times in my life. This one is no different. I forget sometimes that I can trust the Blessing-Giver more than I can the blessings He provides me.

I hold on to what makes me comfortable, feel secure, feel happy. I CLING.

And the truth gets choked out of me sometimes. I get numb to it. I lose sight of it. I lose sight of my trust in Him... of living for HIM more than I live for myself. I forget.

Assessing the Soil–Are You Taking in What You Read?

I’ve been distracted. I’ve wrestled with excuses. I’ve been fooled by temptations. I’ve chosen sin. I’ve trusted comforts more than the One Who supplied them to me.

But what can we do to change that for ourselves? What can we do to cultivate a type of soil that is described by Jesus as the “good” ground?

Having a noble & good heart, keeping that truth with patience, trusting God’s work & word & ways more than my own. Watching Him multiply His Word that I take into my heart, mind, & soul into a harvest of blessings both for myself & those around me… seeing the peace it provides, the joy, the security, the surety, the steadiness. Trusting God to be GOD. Letting God be God.

Where do you need to start? Which soil describes you most right now? What do you need to work on surrendering, apologizing, turning? Where do you need to ask for God’s help?

Shine HOPE by working to have a noble & good heart who trusts God through distractions, trusts God’s help (& TAKES it) through temptation lies, & trusts God is more sufficient & good than ANYTHING else you could be striving after—that He alone is where TRUE satisfaction, joy, & HOPE resides.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Cygnus Savings Set (EAST ASIA & INDIA)

This week only save when you purchase the Cygnus Savings Set!

Purchase this set to save on Artisan-made designs! The stunning Cygnus Mini Pouch has a detailed, hand embroidered white swan. Each Mini Pouch is handmade by women in India earning a dignified wage for their work. Also included in the Cygnus Savings Set is the Elva Rose Bracelet handcrafted by women escaping brothels in East Asia. The multicolored, jasper stone beaded bracelet includes square 18k gold-plated accent beads and one round gold bead for a gorgeous look!

***Purchase this set, using the “Shop Here” link below! Each design is created by women who are earning a dignified wage for their work, in an area of great need.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!