In Matthew 13, Jesus uses one of his most well-known parables, the Parable of the Sower, to teach us four basic ways that our hearts respond to the Word of God: the seed falls on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and finally, on good soil. I’ve heard this parable enough times in my life that it feels familiar to me. Every time I’ve read it, I would quickly check to make sure I was still following Jesus enough to label myself as good soil. Yet, recently, the parable of the Sower came to mind several times while praying about other things. In searching it out in my Bible, I re-read the familiar parable, and was struck by something entirely new:

Soil changes… a lot.

The soil of our heart changes with our daily thoughts, words, and actions. It changes through seasons. It changes through what we allow in, what we neglect, what we surrender, and what we refuse to let go.

Because our heart soil is always changing, my heart has been rocky ground, and it has been among thorns, even when following Jesus. I have had incredible seasons of experiencing my heart as good soil end in exhaustion because I was still fighting to be good enough for God instead of letting Him transform and renew me.

A question I’ve started asking is: “Jesus, what are you trying to do with the soil of my heart today?”

It’s hard to change rocky ground, thorns, or the ground of the well-worn path into fertile soil, but it is not impossible. The same is true for the soil of our hearts. At times, it can seem hard, even impossible to imagine our heart soil being any different than it is right now. Yet, the Good Sower is also The Gardener and knows exactly what our heart soil needs to become fertile again. He also sends His Advocate, the Holy Spirit to transform it from “our effort to be better” to a cooperation with His grace and mercy to be made holy like He is holy.

. . .

Wisdom from the Saints:

“Cultivate your vineyard together with Jesus. To you, the task of removing stones and pulling up brambles. To Jesus, that of sowing, planting, cultivating and watering. But even in your work, it is still He who acts. Because, without Christ, you could do nothing at all.”

//St. Pio of Pietrelcina

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Scripture Quote:

“For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.”

Ezekiel 36:24-27