What is My Heart-Soil Like Today?

As I sat to dwell in God's Word this morning, I was taken back to the discussion of last night's bible study in the Gospel of Matthew.

Khris taught on the parable of the sower:

Matthew 13: 1 That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 

3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower wento out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no rood, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 And others fell on good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear." (NASB)

So What is my heart-soil like as I sit to abide in the Word of God for my devotions in the morning?  Or in the corporate setting for Sunday and Wednesday sermons? Or listening to teaching on the radio?

Khris posed these two questions in the study:  How much time have you spent in the Word, or listening to sermons throughout the duration of your walk with Christ?  Considering that time, how much of it has taken root in you to produce fruit?

In light of this parable what is my heart-soil like?

Is my heart-soil hardened like the side of the road?

Does that gospel-seed just get

gobbled up by the enemy?

Is my heart-soil shallow & rocky?

When trials or persecution come,

does that sprouted gospel-seed burn up and die,

rendering me useless?

Is my heart-soil longing for the things of this world?

Does the Word, that gospel-seed, sprout up

among worldly desires and choke out

my fruitfulness?

Or is my heart-soil tended, cultivated

and ready to receive that gospel-seed?

Am I receiving from God's Word in every

opportunity, watering and tending to the

weeds and thorns, so I can bear good fruit

despite the enemy's thievery, 

trials and persecution,

or the Word-choking world?

Father, I pray I would continue to seek Your face as I approach Your Word, in my quiet time or in corporate worship, that my heart would be tender and ready to receive what You would speak in me.  May I bear much fruit for Your glory ~Amen

What is your heart-soil like today? 

I would  love to hear what the Lord has

laid on your heart.

Please Comment Below 

Glimpses

A few months ago (beginning of our paper chase) I was spending my devotional time in the Psalms. The day I read 139 my heart became heavy. I felt like the Spirit was giving me a little glimpse into the big picture of our adoption. I had the notion that that day may be our child's conception day. I began to pray for his tummy mom asking the Lord to protect her in her circumstances. 

photo credit Ben Heine on flickr

After all, there is something not right in her life that her child becomes ours. Is our child's conception the result of abuse or rape? Is she merely a youth working the street? Is she unmarried? Homeless? Does she already have children she's struggling to support? 

photo credit willvero2 on flickr

What about the father? Is he sick? Jobless? A stranger? All these things made my heart heavy as I read through my favorite psalm. 

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

In your book were written, every on of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:16

He did bring me comfort through His words as well.  The Lord knows.  He is working all this together for His glory and for the good of our child, his tummy mom, the rest of his birth family, and for this family - his adoptive family.  His forever family.