Talking Dirt… What Do You Have in Your Soil?

Mark 4:3-8 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

I don’t know about you, but some days my soil has everything but seeds and good soil!

I know this parable is talking about different people, but some days… I feel like I am multiple personalities.

Mark 4:13-20 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Some days everything I have “sown” is eaten by the birds… What I have read or studied or seen in action, does not make it to the soil of my life. The seeds of Scripture fall on the side of the road to my life. Those places where I have not removed the side paths to idolatry. Satan, the prince of false gods on this earth, sends his minions immediately to take away the word which has been sown. It’s gone! Even if I spend hours trying to REMEMBER that GREAT WORD I heard today.

Some days the seeds that God plants do begin to root and grow little sprouts…  these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 

The rocky places, where I have built altars to showcase MY prizes. Instead of doing the heavy lifting to remove the WRONG altars from the ground, I et them lay where they have fallen.  I do receive the truth with joy and I am sooooo very excited that I HAVE RECEIVED, but distraction always comes and my soil is unprepared to give the seed a deep and well nourished root space. Truth will always root, but the roots need depth (shade and moisture) to protect them from scorching heat of suffering (or disappointment) until they are strong enough to fight the elements this world can and does dish out. The rocks from the altars fit for the wages from the god of materialism do nothing to protect from the times of our lives… check out Ecclesiastes 3:1 – an appointed time for everything – a time for every event under heaven

Oh yeah, don’t forget the days my life is THORNY… and the seed is sown among the thorns. The Truth is planted and roots are growing deep… but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 

There is a aging, left-over, personality inside of me that YEARNS for more of the “Good TIMES”. I imagine being the star of all the fairy tales my soul remembers from childhood. Can you see it? My name in lights and everyone crowding around, breathlessly waiting for my opinion on the current matter. “Me neither! NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!”

But if it did… or could… maybe I should prepare just a little… just in case. Now I must FOCUS all my attention (the truth will take care of itself) on what if and how to and all the rest of the fairy tale lies. Remembering to click my ruby slippers three times and leaving my glass slipper for my prince to find will surely multiply the real-estate needed to grow MY OWN BLEND of seed… and… it (my own blend of seed) will steal from the truth to grow bigger and better fantasies.

And then there are days when I awake to FACT that harvest time IS COMING. On these days I realize that my whole life depends on harvesting the fruit that grows from planting and caring for the seeds sown from the Word of God.

And those days are the ones on whom seed is sown on the good soil; and I hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Enough to feed and give health to my body and those with whom I can share the fruit of the harvest given to me.

Good soil… soil meant for planting – deep and rich with Holy Spirit infused wisdom and knowledge. Soil moist with God’s provision of living water made up of His love and grace and mercy. Soil free of the rocks of worthless pursuits that give me nothing but heartache, anxiety and stuff to take care of. Soil plowed with the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, prepared to receive His seed by our acceptance, sealed with the sale (I bought the deal!) recorded and published in The Lamb’s Book of Life that all of the property rights have been turned over to His ownership.

Sometimes my life does feel like “WHACK A MOLE” with the different Mary’s of my old plantation popping up. Some days… I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, buy I am doing the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)… the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. (Romans 7:18)

Romans 7:24 Wretched man woman that I am… Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Jesus… JESUS CHRIST… JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD…

Yeshua… our Messiah!

He will come in and take ownership.

He will dwell in the land even before it is made perfect.

He will talk dirt with you, and teach you (and provide) the necessities for the fruit filled harvest to come.

How do I know? He TALKS DIRT with me everyday, in every way, with every one of the different personalities that pop up their ugly piece of my soul.

He doesn’t abandon His property for lack of good soil… lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)

He speaks the Truth into the dirt of my life, and we are set free from the rocks, too little soil, the thorns and weeds.

The only thing He doesn’t do is take away our choice to participate… our choice to learn about the soil of our life.

We all need to Talk Dirt… We all need to ask… “What do I have in my soil today?”

From experience I will tell you… John 8:32 You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Free to grow… and grow… and grow…

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible