The 4 types of fields

For a plant to bloom the seed and the soil should become one.

When the Word of God comes to our heart it has to be a fertile field to take it in. A heart that is immediately responsive to God.

There are so many instances in the Word where God came and did supernatural miracles, sent help and even fire from Heaven. Still people kept wandering away from Him.

Why?

God is unchanging. His Word is unchanging. Then why are lives not changed?

The only reason people wander away is because of what is in their hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The four types of hearts

The highroad heart – This type of heart receives every message. Once received the Word is not treasured. It continues to hear from every source. It continues to look wondering if there is anything better. Eventually, God’s Word gets swallowed up by the enemy. Nothing grows in this kind of heart. There is no time for the seed to take root. It is busy in all comings and goings.

The rocky heart – It has some moisture from a previous night’s rain. There is a certain interest in God’s word. But once the moisture / easy growth dries up everything stops and the plant dies and is forgotten. Short term obedience, quick growths and quick deaths of God’s word imply the person has a hard heart.

The thorny heart – The soil is fertile enough for plants to grow. But there is no discernment in what grows in the heart. There is no guarding of the heart. A discerning gardener removes the plants that can kill the fruit bearing trees / useful trees. Here no such work takes place. Known killers like worries and money-worship are allowed to take over. The Word of God is sown in between restless work done to put out real and unreal fires and the hard pursuit of wealth/security. There is no conducive atmosphere for the Word to grow. Such a person has no disciplined prayer life or a disciplined Word life. They don’t understand – “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all things shall be added unto you.”

The fertile heart – This type of soil is prepared to receive the Word. Every stone is removed, thorns are burnt, scarecrows are in place to scare away the birds. This type of person, loves the Word, endures the ridicule from unbelievers, persecution, hostility and opposition. He endures discipline from God. He tills the soil of his heart and keeps it at the right condition to treasure God’s Word. He loves God and obeys His Word. He prays for his needs and does not look for mammon to fulfil it. His work is also an arena to send forth God’s word and not his bread-winning zone alone.

Remember, people run after what they like, what their heart is set on or what makes them feel spiritual.

Guard your heart.