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THE SOWER
And he told
them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out
to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the
birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground,
where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly,
since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they
were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.
Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked
them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” …
“Hear then the
parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom
and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away
what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As
for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the
word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has
no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or
persecution arises on account of the word, that person
immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this
is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and
the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as
for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the
word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in
one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another
thirty.”
Admittedly, I am not any one of the “seeds”
on a regular basis. I shift from one to the other. At times, I
am confused about God’s plan for me, and “birds” gobble me up.
Occasionally, I hear the words of the Lord and rejoice. However,
I fail to process their meaning and the experience is fleeting.
Worse yet, I too often become consumed with life’s worries and
anxieties – am I a good spouse, a good parent, a good employee?
I forget to ask, “Am I a good Christian?” I do not trust Jesus
to help me. Instead, I take my burdens upon myself.
Through all these weak moments, however,
there are times when I hear the word of God. It pierces me –
heart and soul. Then, I know God’s plan, accept it and live it.
I can only pray that as my relationship with the Lord grows,
these experiences will become a way of life and I will be a
bountiful seed.
Dear Lord, I pray my relationship with
you will grow deeper; I will hear your words; I will trust them;
I will live them; and I will yield a plentiful harvest. Amen
Dallas Rakestraw
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