Matthew 13:23
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Jesus describes the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. As the farmer began to plant, some of the seeds fell by the way side, others among stones, and some fell in areas where thorns had taken over. Needless to say because of the condition of the ground these seeds never brought forth any fruit. But some of the seeds fell in good ground, and they began to grow and produce fruit in abundance.
One seed yielded a hundred of pieces of fruit. The possibility of the seed producing fruit lay in the soil, because the seed fell in good soil it could be protected, and nourished. It was able to develop deep roots to stabilize the plant. The disciples desired to know the secret of the parable and Jesus told them. The seed is the Word of God and the soil is our heart.
The Word of God is powerful but in order for it to take root and produce fruit it must fall on good ground, or a tender heart. Proverbs tells us to guard our heart because it will decide how we handle every issue in life. I was a guest at a revival last night, and at the end of the service an invitation was given. I was surprised to see that nearly every person in the congregation went forward or knelt in the pew to pray. It was a great service, why? Because people had a tender heart. If the tree is bare check the soil.
Pastor Ken Smith