Have you ever noticed how well weeds grow in really good dirt? I bought some really good dirt. I’ve been extremely pleased any way – weeds and all – because the harvest that comes from anything planted in this dirt – as long as you weed it – is bountiful!
Our hearts are like dirt. What are you letting grow in your heart? What are you weeding out?
The weeds originating with the dirt – original weeds – remind me of original sin. The original sin is the sin that originated with man in the Garden of Eden.
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Genesis 3:17-19
Just like that dirt came with a propensity to have weeds, we have a propensity to sin. When sin takes root in our life, it can be just as hard to root out as thorns and thistles.
Consider the sower in Matthew 13. I’ll paraphrase. Some of the seed he sowed fell onto the wayside, and the birds ate the seed. Some fell onto stony places. The sun scorched them, and they withered. Some fell among thorns, and they were choked out. Some fell onto good ground, and they brought forth fruit.
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 13:18-23
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to figure out what kind of ground your heart represents.
When God’s Word comes to you, is your heart like the wayside? If you don’t understand God’s Word, Satan will snatch it away. Is your heart like stony ground? Do you receive the Word with joy, but when trouble comes you are offended? Is your life full of thorns and thistles? Are you tied up in sin and the cares of this world, and you just don’t want to accept Jesus?
For your heart to be good ground, faith must take over. You must be able to believe in Jesus. He’ll enable you to get rid of the thorns and thistles.