Heart Garden - What's the condition of my soil? - Matthew 13

(Jesus) told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.  As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.  

Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.  But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.  

Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 

 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!  

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”  Matthew 13:3-9  NLT

This is a familiar passage.  I've read it many times.  I’ve heard a number of sermons on this parable as well.  

Have you?

Through this Lent season, I’m reading through the Gospels.  About two weeks in, I’ve paused here.  The significance of these words for my own life seem to be highlighted. 

  

As I ponder the parable, I visualize a garden.  It's my heart.  My heart is the garden and the One True Living God is Master Gardener. 

At first glance, I see all the elements of the parable are present in my heart garden.  It’s messy, overgrown in some places, weed and thorn infested in other places. 

I see the well-worn, soil-hardened foot path; the place where old hurts are trampled over and over to justify judgment.  The hard soil reveals a rocky layer just underneath.  It’s dry and brown and tough!

My heart garden, without the Love and Care, Skill and Wisdom of the Master Gardener, is dead and unproductive.  The seeds of Life will be scattered.  Truth will fall upon this dry, rocky garden, but to no avail.

This is not what I want!

I desire the fertile soil, which produces the bountiful crop of which Jesus spoke.  I want to be a productive fruit bearer.  Yes, the lush, rich, beautiful and fruitful garden is what I desire for my heart.

Master Gardener, take over the garden of my heart.  Till the hardened soil along the footpath.  Break up the rocky ground and help me to gather all the rocks to create a beautiful safety boundary around my heart garden.

Pull up weeds, the produce of bad seeds (the lies of the enemy) scattered to and fro.  Remove old stumps of unforgiveness.  Prune back the overgrown places, so new growth will come in strength and vitality.

Water my heart garden with Your Living Water, especially after You have lovingly allowed some fertilizer to be sprinkled around my roots. 

I thank You today, Master Gardener, for Sovereignly tending my heart garden with love and care and wisdom. 

I thank You for creating fertile soil in my heart, for sowing Your seeds of Truth, and for growing my roots down deep in this good soil.  Thank You for the beautiful fruit bearing trees You’ve planted throughout my heart garden, as well.

 

Most of all, I thank You, Master Gardener, for never leaving me untended and for the eternal source of Living Water.

May I continually surrender every square inch of my heart garden.  May my heart garden be beautiful and available to all who peek in, and bear much fruit for Your Glory.

Amen!