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Rocky Ground from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

One day, Jesus told a parable about a farmer who went out to sow seed. In those times, farmers would first scatter the seed and then come back and plow it into the ground. In a nutshell, Jesus Christ was the farmer, the seed being sown was the word of God, and the soil was the listener hearing His words.

(Luke 8:5–8 NKJV)  "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."

Later, His disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable to them, and He did. There were four types of soil, and remember, these represent people who hear the word of God. There are:

1. The hardened roadside which the word could not penetrate:

(Luke 8:12 NKJV)  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

I think the easiest way to sum this person up is as someone uninterested in spiritual things. At first, it just seems too hard to understand, so they never try. The devil comes and takes the word away. To be fixed, the hardened ground has to be broken up. Typically by plowing, which will often come in the form of pain, stress, and trials. When we are broken down, His word can begin to seep in through the cracks.

2. The shallow soil over the rock where the roots could not grow deep:

(Luke 8:13 NKJV)  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

In Palestine, a lot of the land contains two or three inches of soil over bedrock. So as the seed sprouted, the roots could only go down a few inches before they hit the rock. When the sun came up and dried out the ground's surface, there was no root system to bring up water, and the seed withered away. It had no depth.

This person is one of the most common casualties of spiritual death. They start out well, spring up quickly and joyfully. Yet, it's an emotional rollercoaster prone to derail at the first adversity. Notice the way Jesus said this: "In the time of testing, they fall away." Make no mistake about it: Your faith will be tested.

The chaff is easily blown away by the wind, while only the good wheat remains. We are not those who shrink back. We are no longer children who are tossed about by every wind of doctrine. We hang onto the word of God as an anchor for our soul, and we never let go.

"Oh, this test is so difficult!" Yes, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. "Why, why, why?" We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. Even running a ship aground and breaking it apart on the isle of Malta leads us to divine opportunities. Our faith does not shrivel when hard times come, for we put down roots.

3. The thorn infested soil which choked out the word:

(Luke 8:14 NKJV)  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

This person is just too busy with life for spiritual things. The pursuit of happiness and the cares of life choke the word, and it bears no fruit. "No time to pray. Have to get the kids to the soccer game." Your Bible grows dusty, but there's "time for Monday night football!" You get the picture.

The cure for this heart is intentional spiritual growth. You make a list of priorities or a schedule, and you include spending time seeking the Lord Jesus Christ in it. This could involve prayer, meditating on scripture, and listening to anointed praise and worship music. Make His time non-negotiable and do not allow it to be pushed aside because of someone else's lack of planning. The enemy will always provide you an excuse if you let him. No means no.

4. The good soil:

(Luke 8:15 NKJV)  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

This person heard the word of God and patiently did it. They endured the trials, allowed the word to change them, and it brought forth the fruit of the spirit in their life.

(Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

If we fail to exercise a muscle, like when a leg is put in a cast, it deteriorates. Its strength and mass are taken away. In the same way, God's word is basically, "Do it or lose it." We need to allow His word to change us. To those who are obedient, more truth will be given. To those who are not, even that they have will be taken away. When the Lord Jesus Christ appears, there will be no mistaking who is His. For the fruit you have produced in your life will tell Him all that He needs to know at that moment.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that You draw my heart to You and cleanse me from the inside out. Break up the hard areas of my heart and cause Your word to thrive in me. Awake my spirit, and open my spiritual eyes and ears. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!