Parable of the Sower

 S - Luke 8:4-8, 13-14 (NASB)

Parable of the Sower

4 Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, [b]let him hear.”

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13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; [g]they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they [h]fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.

O - My observation is that Jesus gave the people following a parable to reveal that not all who receive God's word will grow in their faith and go on to bear much fruit.   In fact for the seed that fell on rocky soil, it sprouted up but it withered away because it had no life giving water; this meant that those who receive the word on rocky soil is for those who have heard the word of God and it grew among the thorns and are choked out by worries, riches and pleasures and therefore bring no fruit to maturity.

A-  The application for me is readily revealed to me that I have had the seed planted on rocky soil early in my Christian walk and therefore I did not grow to maturity as I was tempted and fell away.   God continued to pursue me and plant more seed, this time it grew and took root among thorns that eventually choked it out due to my giving in to the pleasures and riches of the world.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your word.   I pray you would continue to plant seed in my heart.  I promise I will try and take care of it, but I need you to continue to water it and make it grow, and pull the weeds and thorns from my garden before they choke me out. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen