A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path. (Matthew 13:3-4)
The soil of the sanctified life can get a bit hard from time to time. That hardening can happen when we face unexpected challenges. It can happen when we face unmet expectations. It can happen when we encounter unforeseen loss. Let’s face it: Life is hard, and it can harden us from time to time. So we must always be on the lookout for any signs of “hard soil” in our hearts and allow God to soften our hearts with the truths of the Gospel.
Here are two simple, practical steps that will help in the process of softening hard soil in the heart.
Examination:
The first step is to make time for self-reflection. This is a time to let the Scriptures search our hearts to uncover any areas within us that may be growing hard, distant, or cold. We must first identify where the hard soil is before we can go to work on softening it.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
In this passage, David was asking God to make sure his hatred for his enemies was not man-centered, but God-centered. David was zealous for the justice of God, and he wanted God to direct him to any wrong motives in his heart so that God could change them.
Excavation:
The second step is to let the Lord do His work in softening the hard soil in our heart by digging down into the depths of the heart through the truths of Scripture.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
Here David was asking God to excavate his heart, which had been hardened through his grievous sins of adultery and murder. He knew it would take a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to till the hard soil in his heart so that God could begin to plant new and better seeds of both thoughts and desires.
When we read our verse for today, we are to understand that, unlike our paved roads today, most of the roads in Jesus’ day were simply hardened, dirt-packed paths. The more they were traveled upon, the more the dirt was tamped down and the harder those paths would become. The consequences were clear: When the “seed” of the Word of God was sown along the road, “The birds came and ate it up” (Matthew 13:5). Perhaps you have been trampled upon by the difficulties of life and your heart has been tamped down into hardness. Don’t let the birds steal the seed of the Word in your heart! Look to Jesus, and He will soften your soil and His seed will take root and produce new fruit in your heart.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 