We were challenged in Sunday School this week to read Mark 4 everyday for 30 days. Usually I follow an app on my phone for daily reading, but lately when I would read, I felt like my heart just wasn’t in it. My heart was on the wayside. I was reading and then not allowing it to soak into the soil of my life and produce…I have been merely checking off a to-do list. As I sat yesterday morning listening, I felt a nudge to switch it up. To take the teacher up on her offer and dive into Mark 4 everyday for the next month.
It starts off with the parable of the shower and the types of ground in which the seed is sown. Now, you must understand that in this parable, the seed is The Word (The Word of the Kingdom) and the soil is our hearts. The first type of soil that is mentioned is the soil that is found by the wayside. I decided to look up the definition of “by the wayside” and found something quite interesting:
By the wayside: fail or stop before they complete what they set out to do;
I like this…
You see, seeds just like the Word is active and living. Seeds are set out to grow. The kingdom of God is to grow within us, through us and because of us. That seed isn’t just a seed so it can die. It is set out to produce much fruit. However, many times in our lives we allow God to fall by the wayside. We hear the Word and it doesn’t penetrate our heart where it can grow and flourish. It falls at our feet…we trample on it and it is quickly taken away by Satan before it has a chance to do its purpose! The problem isn’t with the seed, but the soil. That soil on the wayside is calloused and hard. The seed lays on the top of it and it is quickly devoured by a hungry bird or two.
Has your heart ever been so calloused and hard that you weren’t able to absorb anything from God’s Word…from the Kingdom? Maybe you feel that way now. Maybe your soil needs a little Living Water? I encourage you to not allow the seed that is sown in your life to fall by the wayside. God wants the Word to flourish in your life and produce much fruit.
Invite Him into your life today. Without Living Water flowing through you, there will be no opportunity for the Word to flourish within your heart. A seed is just a seed, but in the right soil you will see growth, change, harvest and blessings poured out in your life. That’s the path I want to walk!
Mark 4:4/Mark 4:15
