by Rich Carlson

            "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" Luke 8:8 (NIV).

            "A farmer went out to sow his seed" (Luke 8:5).

And you probably know the rest of the story as told in verses 5-8. The seed fell on four different types of ground: hard path, rocky and shallow soil, among thorns, and good dirt.

And the results: the seed on the path got trampled on and birds came and ate them. The seed on the rocky and shallow soil sprang up too quickly, and the sun scorched them because they didn’t have good roots. The seed in the thorns got choked out. And the seed that fell on the good soil produced up to 100 times what was sown.

The disciples came and asked what the parable meant. So Jesus explained (verses 11-15):

The seed is the word of God. It’s the same thing planted everywhere in every heart. Then Jesus lists things that might keep the seed from producing good fruit. Things like not trying to understand it; receiving it with emotional superficial joy but not with depth; and allowing the worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth, pleasure, and the desire for other things to take priority.

Then Jesus mentions qualities necessary for this seed to produce: having a noble and good heart as I expose myself to it, hearing it and retaining it, understanding it, accepting it, and be persevering in my searching for it.

If this seed is to have a chance, I have to prepare to receive it and take its growth process seriously. Growing good crops is not just a hobby, it takes constant attention and care. I think it’s the same with God’s crop in my life. If I want this thing called Christianity to work it can’t just be a hobby when it’s convenient, it needs to be what my life is all about, giving it my constant spiritual attention. With the constant temptation to build my security on an economic market that at best might yield 3-4% right now, God’s promise is that when I take Him seriously the yield is a 3,000, 6,000 or 100,000% increase! That’s what it says!

             Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.