Soil and Fruit Production

At the end of an exhausting week, I’m ready for some good news. God knows — so He blesses me with today’s Scripture and devotional thoughts.

“And (Jesus) told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’” (Matthew 13:3–8)

While I’ve interpreted this parable to show the difference between saved and unsaved people, a recent sermon applied all of it to believers. We have been saved to produce fruit, but do not always do it . . .

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)

In the parable of the sower, the path is a place of much traffic. The soil is hard so when the Word of God lands on it, instead of putting down roots and growing it becomes easy pickings for the enemy. He snatches it away, along with its implications and power. If I’m like that path, I’m too busy and perhaps too down-trodden for God’s message to sink in. I’m not going to water or nourish it either. That Word just lands and leaves.

The rocky ground isn’t much different. It has been stirred up a bit but is shallow and without nourishment. The seed, again the Word of God, is heard and welcomed but without meditation and application, it withers in the heat of life. That message was welcomed but not rooted.

Jesus later explains that the thorns represent soil full of weeds — the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. He doesn’t explain more, but I know some of those cares. Mine include ego stuff like the desire to succeed, to finish projects, to make my mark in the world, to have people like me, to be well-thought of, and so on. Some of that might even look like fruit, but it is rooted among the weeds and so often motivated by fleshy and selfish desires, not the Holy Spirit of God. Whatever I produce, if Christ is not at the bottom of it, it is a weed, useless for growing eternal fruit. Knowing the difference requires diligence. It also requires getting rid of the weeds.

Fortner does a good job of describing good soil. It is tender, broken and contrite before God. The Lord comes first and His Word is too precious to let it merely lie there without pondering it, repenting of the sin and weeds it exposes, and allowing God to plow up whatever hinders its growth and fruit production.

Thankfully that production is not up to me; the Holy Spirit produces it. I need to be aware of the condition of my heart before God, yet I cannot make the fruit, I can only ‘bring it forth’ as the Spirit works in my life.

Some would list this fruit as attitudes of the heart from Galatians 5:22-23. These are both an inner and visible witness to His presence. Without these, I know there is a problem with the soil of my heart:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

However, there is another witness, the words of my mouth. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”

I can seem loving and cheerful without God. I can show patience and kindness and the other virtues listed in at least a resemblance to spiritual fruit, but if I am not offering praise to God that acknowledges what He is doing in my life, then it is time to invited the Fruit Inspector to examine the soil and do some plowing.

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Jesus, thank You that you saved me and make it possible that I can bring forth fruit that You produce. When it is not there, or when I try to substitute the fake stuff that looks like fruit but does not nourish hungry souls, bring on the plow and whatever else is needed to get rid of my hardness, rocks and weeds. Thank You for being so plain about what is needed to be all You want me to be.