What is the ground like?

Behold a Sower Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23

"Behold a sower went forth to sow." Matthew 13:3b The sower is God. He desires to "sow" into the "potential" that He sees within each of our lives. If we will take the "totality" of our life, and lift it up to the Lord, and ask Him to bring us into the full potential that He sees to be within us, He will sow the necessary "seed" deep within our spirit. This "seed" is the circumstances, which the Lord will arrange and then guide us into, which will so affect our lives, that we will be "made ready" to become what He would have us to be and to accomplish His purposes. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 "And have made us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." Revelation 5:10 This "seed" is all those things that are necessary to bring this "potential" into its full fruition. Paul saw this and desired to enter into the fullness of all that the Lord intended for him. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before." Philippians 3:12-13 The Lord will invest (seed) in the potential (talent) that He sees in us, to bring forth His highest and His best. This seed is the "word" of the Kingdom being worked into our lives. It is "preparation" that relates to the Kingdom - our being prepared for our place in the Kingdom. "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14 Each of us has our responsibilities in life, but there must be times in which we separate ourselves from all these things and come apart to "wait" in the presence of the Lord. It is during these times that the "seed" which the Lord has sown deep within us will begin to work up into our consciousness and give fresh direction and purpose to our lives. Now we will be able to "apprehend that for which we have been apprehended." It is during this "set apart time" that we cultivate the presence of the Lord. When we spend time with the Lord, we should not allow others to enter this time. This is sacred ground. "But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly." Matthew 6:6 We are to prepare "good soil" (a spiritual atmosphere), so that which the Lord sows into our lives can come to its full maturity. There are four things that affect the quality of the soil - the "atmosphere" in which the Lord can work His purposes within our lives, and in which we can come apart to meet with the Lord and become what He would have us be. "But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." Matthew 13:8 1. "Good ground." This is soil that has been carefully made ready to receive good seed. This is the result of a fully committed life, with quality time being spent in the presence of the Lord. Good ground speaks of sensitivity to the voice and presence of the Lord. "And when He sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up." Matthew 13:4 2. "Wayside." This is soil that has become a "pathway" to walk on. It becomes hardened and cannot receive the good seed, which the Father desires to sow. The "wayside" means that we are not in the "center" of His will. It is the result of a life that has not been fully committed to the Lord, with time set apart for Him alone. "Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and immediately they sprung up because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away." Matthew13:5-6 3. "Stones." These are weights, which hold us from ascending up into His presence. These stones are "things" that need to be removed if we are to become spiritually sensitive to His voice and presence. "Stones" are legitimate things, but they will hinder our ability to come into the presence of the Lord. If we are wise, we will get rid of them, as they are the result of an attempt to maintain both a "spiritual" and a "carnal" lifestyle at the same time. Neither will succeed. "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up, and choked them." Matthew 13:7 4. "Thorns." These are "relationships" that are not in divine order. Roses are beautiful to look at but never hug a rose bush. They have sharp thorns and will draw blood. Some people are like rose bushes. They look good from a distance, but when you get close, their "sharp" attitudes and opinions will damage your spirit. If we will come to the hundredfold, in which all that is less than His best has been dealt with, the "soil" of our spirit will be able to receive the seed of the Kingdom, and in "that-day," we will hear the Lord say to us, "His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord." Matthew 25:23 At this present time, the Lord is preparing a people for His end-time purposes. He is actively looking for "good ground" into which to sow the word of the Kingdom. If we are wise, we will do our part so that the "soil" of our spirit will have become so attractive to the Lord that He will hasten to sow the seed of His Kingdom into our life experience.

The question remains; are you good soil?