by Mo Mydlo
I bought a really fun piece of garden equipment. This cool looking device actually checks the PH levels of your soil that you are growing things in. You place it down in the soil and then it tells you how acidic or alkaline your soil is. Quite honestly, that number would mean nothing to me without the cheat sheet I made of what PH each plant needs to be in to grow at it’s maximum level. Thank God for google sometimes!
I felt so excited to see that most of my veggies that I have planted are in the right levels. The only area that I decided to work on is my potatoes. I guess potatoes like more sandy soil which is naturally acidic. So, I dug out a whole new area to start my next batch of potatoes. These little tools are helpful.
As I was checking the levels I heard in my Spirit, “How is the soil of your heart?” I thought immediately of the parable of the four soils in Luke 8. I grabbed whatever I had outside to write with and I wrote that down to write about our hearts when I came inside, hence the sidewalk chalk. in the picture.
Luke 8:4-21
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’[a]
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Oh my goodness my friend, not only in gardening is the condition of the soil so important. But, in the spiritual realm as well. The condition of our hearts determines the effectiveness of God’s working in our lives. God works through His Word. His Word is His heart. His Word is His will. If we want to know how to please God, we must be in His Word.
God will speak to us through His Word a lot of the time. When He speaks, the condition of our heart, determines whether we will hear Him clearly, and whether the Word He sends forth will produce real fruit or not. You know, that’s the goal, right? Fruitfulness! We are supposed to bear fruit that will last. Not just fruit, lasting fruit, and a lot of it.
I have to be honest, when I garden, fruitfulness isn’t always happening. I get ton of green. I get some nice flowers, but when the fruit is due to come, I only get fruit when I have tended the garden correctly. I only get fruit if I have watered, weeded, fertilized, and tended to the plants. This is true in my spiritual life as well because whatever we nurture grows.
Whatever we nurture grows. Are we nurturing our relationship with God by spending time with Him everyday? Talking to Him, confessing to Him, thanking Him, worshipping Him, studying His Word? When we nurture our relationships in life, those relationships are fruitful.
Our families and loved ones are fruit bearing when we have made an effort to nurture those we love. It’s the same with our relationship with God. Whatever we nurture grows.
How is the soil of your heart? Is the soil being choked out by the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth? Is the enemy stealing your joy quicker than you can catch your breath? Or are you seeing real fruit, fruit will last into eternity? The good news is, if your soil isn’t great right now, all you have to do is tend to it. Soil changes when we add nutrients. It truly improves. We need to nurture our hearts with worship, prayer, thankfulness and study of the Word. When we do, there is no doubt fruitfulness will spring forth.
Check your PH today. How is your soil?