from clod to god
“Thus You have prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers.” —Psalm 65:11
God the Father sends every resource necessary to transform our hearts from hard ground to soft, fruitful ground, drenching them with physical and spiritual showers from heaven (see Is 55:10-11). Jesus is constantly sowing His Word, everywhere and to every person (Mt 13:4ff). The Holy Spirit transforms our hearts from stony hearts to natural, soft, fruitful hearts (Ez 36:26). For rocky ground, the Word of God is “like a hammer shattering rocks” (Jer 23:29), breaking up hard clods of clay into good ground. The Word of God is “living and effective,” penetrating and breaking up rock-hard hearts (Heb 4:12-13).
So why doesn’t everyone melt and bear abundant fruit if the Holy Trinity and the Word are so effective and powerful? Jesus answers by quoting the prophet Isaiah (see Mt 13:14-15; Is 6:9-10), saying that by faithfully sowing an understandable message, it would be as if you were causing obstinacy rather than repentance. Isaiah 6:9-10 is quoted five times in the New Testament (Mt 13:14-15; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:40; Acts 28:26-27).
Jesus reminds us to faithfully spread God’s Word, regardless of the results. We must go out and sow (Mt 13:4). If people don’t receive God’s Word, we are not to be surprised. The New Testament has prepared us five times for this rejection. Like Jesus, we must attempt to reach our hearers on their level, using parables (Mt 13:13), stories, discourses, explanations, etc. In so doing, some will repent, turn back to Jesus, and be healed (Mt 13:15).
Prayer: Holy Spirit, here I am. Use me to sow Your Word to a world that is famished for Your Good News.
Promise: “I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us.” —Rm 8:18
Praise: Praise You, Jesus! With You and in You, we are raised up and given a place in the heavens (Eph 2:6). Alleluia!
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
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