Seeds on good soil

This morning during prayer, I saw a vision of a farmer squatting down, tending to a growing plant. The plant was just sprouting green leaves and the branches were still weak and thin. I saw the farmer weeding the soil, removing little rocks and pulling up the thorns from the soil. I saw wild birds flying overhead trying to pull up the plant and have it for food. It was the farmer's diligence and hard work that protected the young plant and caused it to grow strong and healthy.

I guess God was answering my question concerning the soil of our hearts. As I meditated on Luke 8:15 I had asked the Lord whether the condition of the soil of our heart was something we were born with. After the vision, I realized that the soil can certainly change from that of a poor quality to that of a good quality.

This particular scripture in Luke 8:11-15 has been my meditation of late. This was partly due to a few conversions lately of people I know. God knows that I really desire to see them becoming disciples not just converts.

Disciples can only be made when the soil of their hearts are of a certain quality. Luke 8:15 describes the soil of their hearts "And the seeds that fell on good soil represent honest and good hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it and patiently produce a huge harvest" I thank God that over the years, I have seen many with good soil coming to Jesus. They have grown in the Lord and impacted others with their faith. Some of these dear sisters have brought their entire families to the Lord, some are still work in progress. Once in a while some of them will call me and share the goodness of God in their lives. I rejoice to hear their many testimonies that will take more than one blog entries!

Anyway coming back to the vision, God gave me this understanding. The birds that attempt to pull out the growing plant represent the enemy who will try to take away the message of the gospel from our hearts. We have to chase the birds away by rebuking and taking authority over the spirit of unbelief, fear, idolatry, world religion, occult, mind control spirits, deception. Some prayer and fasting could also be involved.

The rocks represent the harshness, hardness and sufferings of life. Some people come to Jesus because they want something from him...perhaps a healing breakthrough, perhaps a financial need...one particular person I know wanted God to give her a quick fix i.e. to quickly fix her relationship with her husband. When the quick fix did not happen, she got dissapointed with God and turned her back to him.

The thorns represent the cares, riches and pleasures of this life. Believers who live from hand to mouth, who are loaded down with debts, who find it hard to give up the secret pleasures of gambling or illicit relationships will soon find the message of the gospel choked out of their lives. It takes patience and care to wait for these believers to humble themselves and share their problems with you. If they are not ready, they are not ready. However hard we pull at the thorns, the soil will not give it up. We just need to continue praying for them.

So are we born with a particular kind of soil or is the soil of our hearts a condition which can be changed vide prayers, cares, concern and constant follow up? I tend to believe that the condition of the soil is not "carved in stone" so to speak.

Through faithful prayers, diligent follow up, care, love and genuine concern, we can certainly trust God to change the soil from 'poor grade' to 'first grade'!