Mark 4:3-8 (NASB20)
"Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow... Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much."
God is speaking to us in this season about generosity and giving—not just in tangible things like money, but in all that He has sown into our lives. Last week, we explored “THE OPPORTUNITY TO MULTIPLY”, how God provides seed to sow and promises to multiply it so we can sow again. This week, we’re diving deeper into the source of the seed and how God multiplies what He sows into us.
Because make no mistake—God is the source of the seed!
Everything worthwhile that we have to sow into others must come from Him. We can try to produce things on our own, but anything outside of God's supply will ultimately fall short. Only what is sourced from the Lord carries the power to TRULY MULTIPLY.
The Word as the First Seed
Jesus' parable of the sower (Mark 4, Matthew 13, Luke 8) teaches a powerful truth: THE WORD OF GOD IS THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT SEED IN OUR LIVES.
Yes, the specific context of this parable in all of its tellings is centered around salvation and the message of the Kingdom that Jesus came preaching. I’m so grateful for that blessed Kingdom-message of repentance, salvation, and transformation. However it also reveals to us how God continuously sows the seed of His Word into our lives even as we journey with Him.
The sower scatters the good seed—the good Word of God—generously, regardless of the condition of the soil. Some falls on hard ground, some on rocky places, some among thorns, and some on good soil. The question is: what kind of soil is operating in our life?
Before we can talk about multiplying in anointing, gifting, talent, giving, serving, or any other area, we have to start with what God has sown into us through His Word. Has His Word taken root? Has it broken through the surface and been received? Or has it been stolen, scorched, or choked out?
The Conditions of Our Soil
Jesus explains that the soil represents the state of our hearts. I think it’s safe to say that we've all been each type of soil at different times. We might even be all of them at once sometimes!
1. Hardened Soil – The enemy swoops in and steals the Word before it can take root. Have we hardened our hearts against what God is speaking? Is there a Word He’s trying to plant in us, but we won’t let it in?
Has failure, trauma, or wounding hit us so hard that the soil of our life won’t allow the truth of God’s Word to break through? Doesn’t it seem impossible sometimes for God to have THE WORD for our issues? Are we so hardened by our experiences that even God’s Word bounces off of our situation?
I’ve got good news—God’s Word is in fact the ONLY THING POWERFUL ENOUGH to break through the most hardened soil of life! Sure the enemy will try to swoop in and pluck up the Word God sows into us, but if we allow that hardened soil to be broken up, the Word will get in and produce LIFE!
2. Rocky Soil – The Word is received with joy but doesn’t take deep root. When adversity comes because of that Word or for that Word’s sake, it withers away. Are we holding onto God’s Word through trials, or do we let go when things get tough?
I believe that Satan generally fights all human beings. That he endeavors to destroy those who bear God’s image in the earth. However, I also know that he doesn’t just fight the Word spoken over a life—he FEROCIOUSLY FIGHTS IT!
May be our issues haven’t hardened us on the outside, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t some kind of barrier deep down within us that God’s Word encounters whenever it tries to get deep within us. God’s Word is able to produce, even in that shallow soil, but it won’t endure if those rocky places within us remain.
3. Thorny Soil – The Word grows but is choked by the worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the distractions of this world. Are we letting the noise of life drown out the voice of God?
Thorny soil people hear the Word, but THEY ALSO HEAR THE WORLD. Jesus says that those in this soil get sidetracked by the cares and worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and their desires for other things of this world. When God’s Word gets within them, the WORLD starts to COMPETE for priority!
If we aren’t careful, all of these lesser peripheral things will spring up alongside what God has spoken to us and will try to CHOKE OUT what God intends to grow out of us!
4. Good Soil – The Word is received, takes root, and produces fruit—multiplying thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Are we allowing God's Word to transform us and bear fruit in our lives?
Good soil folks allow the Word to get deep within them so no enemy can pluck it away. They hear the Word but have room for in their soil for it to go deep! They don’t allow any other occupants (cares, worries, desires, etc.) to choke out what God is speaking. If the good seed of the Word gets within us, the PROMISE is that it will MULTIPLY!
God Keeps Sowing
One of the most encouraging truths from this parable is that God doesn’t just sow His Word once—He keeps sowing! He sows and sows, casting His Word into our lives over and over again. The question is, will we receive it?
God is speaking to your situation, your family, your destiny. The enemy wants to steal it. Life wants to choke it out. But if we allow His Word to take deep root, it will multiply beyond what we can imagine.
So today, ask yourself: What Word has God been sowing into my life? Have I received it?
Let’s be people of good soil—ready to receive, hold onto, and multiply the Word of God!
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