The four soils

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.  Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. Luke 8:6-8 NLT.

As a Christian writer, sometimes I get discouraged when I don’t receive a huge response to the messages I send out for people to read, but I am learning it’s not the seed, but the soil.

Jesus used the illustration of a farmer sowing seed to help us understand how people will receive the messages we sow into them as Christian writers. He explained there  will be four types of soil  that our message will fall upon. The first type of soil is the person who reads our message, but Satan hardens their heart and prevents them from receiving what they have read. The second type of soil is the person who reads our message and is excited about what they have read, but our message never takes root in their lives so it eventually withers  away. The third type of soil is the person who reads our message, but allows it to get crowded out by the cares of their life, so they never use it to grow into maturity. The fourth type of soil is the person who reads our message, is excited abut what they have read, and is determined to use it to grow.

So don’t get discouraged if you aren’t receiving a huge response to the message you sow into others in the land of writing for publication, for it’s not  the condition of the seed that will yield your writing crop, but the condition of the soil.

Sharing the journey,

Jeaninne

Writer to Writer:   What types of “soil” have you have experienced in your writing journey? Be sure to post your comments below!

Writer’s prayer:   Father, as I scatter the seeds of my message into others, let it fall on good soil.   Amen.