Gail Rodgers Sharing the Journey

Hope for the Heart Part 21 - Check Your Soil

by Gail Rodgers

“Wasn’t that good!” she exclaimed to her friend. “Oh, I don’t know”, came the reply, “it wasn’t really deep enough for me.”

Mandy shared with me how those few words crept in to steal her joy. Was she too shallow? Yet she had been so blessed!

I thought of my garden patch. In order for it to yield a crop it is important that the soil to be tilled up and ready. The best of seeds will bounce off dry ground.

The Bible tells us God’s Word is the seed that we need in our hearts (Luke 8:11). Yet the effectiveness of it taking root depends on the condition of our soil. Often we Christians can pride ourselves in “needing more depth” when what we need is a good tilling up of the soil of our hearts.

We can be critical and allow the seed of the simple truths of God’s Word to bounce off us. Yet if we come to our meetings and Bible studies with a ready heart and tilled up soil, the seeds will fall into a receptive place and take root.

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:15)

• Be very careful to keep the soil of your heart soft.
• Be on guard that your comments do not aid the devil in snatching away another’s seed.
• Ask God to reveal pride that actually tosses good seed aside.
• Listen with an open heart to God’s Spirit.
• Go to meet with other believers in anticipation of meeting God.