The Fruit and the Heart

Just the other day, we were sitting around having coffee just by the sea, talking about the wonder of God’s blessings. Suddenly someone popped the question…“I’ve sown so much, but I haven’t seen any breakthrough yet, I wonder why?” the guy was young, and was a recent believer in Jesus, but he had a brilliant mind and a good grasp of life.

We were actually talking about blessings from God, when this unexpected question sent some vital thoughts rushing through my mind. I thought I was qualified to answer that question. I’ll tell you why. I was the oldest in the group. I was more experienced than the rest. I was the guy who could give an easy answer, because the three of them around the table looked at me.

But I didn’t.

I kept my mouth shut, and thought it would be better if the other two…all good friends would say what they believed.

And they did! And I was surprised. In fact I was very surprised!

So I motioned to let the youngest among us say something. He looked as if he was walking up a stage ready to give a performance and rendition of Shakespeare. Man, he was raring to go. He put one hand under his chin, and the other held the coffee mug, and looking as studious as he can said something which I believe is amazing.

“God allows seed to fall on bad ground, because He gives us freedom”.

Freedom to sow! Yes. How true. God indeed gives us the freedom to sow our seed. In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, the Bible says…some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.

Why would God ‘allow’ seed to fall in hard places where He knows it will not bear fruit? If we only plant seed on ‘good soil’ it only goes to show that I have freedom to make my choice, and there are times when I can also sow in a bad place, where I know deep within me that I will never get a return. This determines my personal choice in all I do!

Does not the farmer throw seed in a kind of ‘careless’ way? He knows the birds will get it or the seed will fall in a rocky place in the field. And then there are a zillion kinds of insects, bacteria, rodents and those sorts of things that will attack the seed and kill it. But he still sows.

This show me that God is not only extravagant, He is wise. The word ‘extravagant’ means ‘to wander beyond’. And God just goes beyond any boundary to get to me, and let the seed of His Gospel touch my heart, even when He knows it is bad soil!

Confused?

Don’t be. It’s the heart God is actually talking about in the parable.

If your heart is in sync with God and His Word, and if your heart is good ground…your seed will always bear fruit with time.

If your heart is right you will always profit. Every seed will bear fruit.

The other guy said nothing.

I finished my coffee and went my way…knowing that God was actually tugging at my heart more than my pocket. I had just paid for the coffee!