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Good Soil

Words of Faith Final

Good Soil
Words of Faith 11-17-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 4
[13] Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? [14] The farmer sows the word. [15] Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. [16] Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. [17] But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. [18] Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; [19] but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. [20] Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop‑‑thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

The parable taught in the previous verses begs several questions. If there are four different types of soil and the outcome in life depends upon that type, what sort of soil shall you be? What is it that makes the difference between a rocky place and a spot on the path or a thorny site?
We can all probably think of people we have known who seemed to represent the various soils, but we would be hard-pressed to say we could have predicted a single outcome or discerned one from another. We very likely have known those who hear and then Satan snatches away the Word.
We may have observed those who sprouted quickly and then had no root. Perhaps we have seen those whose faith was choked out by the worries of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth. We have also known those of good soil. The interesting thing is that the good soil is sometimes found very close to the thorns, near rocky places, or on busy paths. So what is the difference?

The difference is choice. When the Word is sown, there is a choice. The good soil could be in any location, shown by the fact that the farmer is so indiscriminate in the sowing of the seed. The indiscriminate sowing of seed is really a quality of grace. The offer of the Gospel is free and without respect to person or station in life.
So the "good soil" has nothing to do with location. The good soil has to do with a choice, the choice to hear the word, accept it, and be productive. Hearing is a choice. Acceptance is a choice. Productivity is a choice. The good soil can be found in the wealthiest of environs and in the poorest of homes. The good soil can be on the busiest of paths and in the rockiest of places. Why? Because it is a choice.
The bottom line is that you and I have a choice. Today we have a choice. We have the choice to be good soil‑‑ to hear, accept, and produce. What will we do?

Lord, I surrender the soil of my life to You. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see. Give me courage to accept Your Word and the perseverance to produce. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.