Is "your" heart soft enough to receive the message?

Matthew 13:19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

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This set of scripture is from the parable of the sower. JESUS spoke in parables to fulfill scripture and letting the blind remain blind to HIS truths. I use this set of scripture to pattern my life.

I read this many years ago and thought I only had to focus on the end where the seed fell in good soil and produced a large crop of their own. I ignored the other seeds that were scattered on the path, rocky places and in thorns.

So I went on my merry way. I would boldly speak to people about CHRIST and life was good. Hey, this Christian thing is easy... Just tell people about CHRIST and they will believe and life would be good! "If a person doesn't believe then they must have a hard heart", I thought to myself.

Then "trouble and persecution" came. I stopped going to church and wanted to just lie around. Wow, that was quick! My zealousness for CHRIST was zapped away so quickly. When times got rough, GOD was no longer powerful in my eyes. Fortunately for me HE is extremely patient! HE enabled me to get through the pains of my youth and move on.

This time I would do things right and a little wiser. As I got a little older I faced more of life's pains. "I'm not going to fall away this time", I said to myself. As the issues of life kicked at me, I held firm, well at least for a week. Then the "worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth" came in and kept me from telling people about my issues.

Pride and shame ensued and my testimony became nil. I was the strong one! I was the rich one! Problems don't happen to me! But they did and GOD stepped in again and with extreme patience brought me through yet another storm.

Well, today many, many storms have come and gone and many more are on their way if GOD leaves me here. The storms of life have softened my heart to hear GOD a little more. HE has shown me that I will always be "a work in progress" as long as I am hear on this planet.

• The storms of life wound the heart
• The storms of life open good soil
• The storms of life make us pray
• The storms of life strengthens us

I have finally stopped reading the Bible and applying it to someone else. GOD is only speaking to me when I read. I need to have "my" heart ready to hear what HE has to say.

• Is your heart ready to hear GOD today?
• Is your faith easily uprooted from HIM because of what you are going through?
• What worries are stopping you from serving HIM the way you used to?
• Where is your daring, exciting behavior that has "NO FEAR?"
• Are you ready to produce a crop of one hundred?