In Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23 (NLT), Jesus shares the parable of the sower or a farmer who went out to scatter seeds across his field and depending on where the seed fell, there was a different result. Jesus also explains the parable that is visualised below:
The parable describes four types of hearers of the word of God. And, the only difference between the first three types and the last one is that Christians with fertile hearts are prepared to receive the word of God. For instance, no matter how weak the natural ground is when the garden bed is prepared, it is possible to build a healthy soil patiently with organic supplements. The same way for everyone, when we prepare our hearts to hear the word of God, it transforms who we are.
To build a fertile ground for the word of God, we need:
- The Holy Spirit: We can’t understand the word of God without the help of the Holy Spirit because only the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). The Holy Spirit shapes our characters in prayer and meditation by the power of God.
- Willingness: God will never force himself into anyone’s heart; we need to choose to invite Him into our hearts.
Let’s prepare our hearts daily to be transformed by God’s words.