4 replies to this topic

[Candice]

I have been thinking about the rocky ground and the fertile soil that Jesus preached about and how the seed does not easily take root in the rocky earth. What about this: do you believe that the seed can eventually take root? Or, do you believe the seed can never root? The reason I ask is that I believe this is what happened with me - the ground was rocky, but eventually the seed did take root and produce above ground the fruit. However, it may not be the fruit of a well-fertilized and grounded soil that would be preferable. I see wild flower seeds that I sowed out on our very rocky soil in the Rocky Mountains. Many said it doesn't easily take. But now, a few years after sowing, I see the wild flowers that I sowed coming up. Someone told me that it may take years for this to happen, but many seeds will start to produce the beautiful flowers I love. And, this has happened. What do you think? I clearly see what the LORD said and see various conditions and outcomes as He explains.

[Candice]

PS: just an analogy - we have tons of wild flowers with a few bald areas on our property. Many of the most beautiful and colorful (but small) are on rocky areas. Is this something like our own lives?

[radar]

I am a living example of the ground being transformed. Here is a study I found that seems to say it best for me.

Break Up the Fallow Ground

There is yet time to seek the LORD. How are you going to go about seeking Him? He makes several suggestions in this one verse. You probably noticed it. First, He said, “Break up fallow ground.” This is how you seek the LORD if you have been disobedient. You break up the fallow ground. What is fallow ground? When we speak of fallow ground, we speak of ground which has been plowed but never planted, plowed but left untended, plowed until it becomes dry and hard, and before any planting can be done, the ground must be broken again.
This produces an interesting thought to my mind. It suggests that the people to whom God spoke evidently wanted to do what was right; they plowed the ground, but they never did get any planting done. Do you know there are a lot of folk like that? There are a lot of folk who perhaps in a service hear the Gospel presented, and they respond to the Gospel—that is another way of talking about plowing the ground—but they go out from the service and they never do anything more. They don't hide the Word of God away in their hearts; they just let things go. Sometimes in a special series of meetings, the minister speaks under the power of the Spirit of God, and hearts are touched and decisions and commitments are made. That's plowing the ground, but nothing else is ever done. Things go along and people live in their own merry way, and the fallow ground appears. Before anything can be done, the fallow ground has to be broken up again.
That fallow ground gets weeds, thorns and thistles in it, and sometimes getting the thorns, weeds and thistles out is not as easy as it sounds. To provoke your thinking today, we trust under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God, we ask you, “Have you got any fallow ground in your heart? Have you made an effort to do what God would have you do, but things have come in and you haven't got it done yet, and the ground lies fallow? Your heart is being stirred again and you think you are going to have to go out and drop a few seeds in the ground, and everything is going to be all right. It can't be that way. You have to plow the fallow ground again. You have to break up the clods.

[browater@hotmail.com]

I am a living example of the ground being transformed. Here is a study I found that seems to say it best for me.

Break Up the Fallow Ground

There is yet time to seek the LORD. How are you going to go about seeking Him? He makes several suggestions in this one verse. You probably noticed it. First, He said, “Break up fallow ground.” This is how you seek the LORD if you have been disobedient. You break up the fallow ground. What is fallow ground? When we speak of fallow ground, we speak of ground which has been plowed but never planted, plowed but left untended, plowed until it becomes dry and hard, and before any planting can be done, the ground must be broken again.
This produces an interesting thought to my mind. It suggests that the people to whom God spoke evidently wanted to do what was right; they plowed the ground, but they never did get any planting done. Do you know there are a lot of folk like that? There are a lot of folk who perhaps in a service hear the Gospel presented, and they respond to the Gospel—that is another way of talking about plowing the ground—but they go out from the service and they never do anything more. They don't hide the Word of God away in their hearts; they just let things go. Sometimes in a special series of meetings, the minister speaks under the power of the Spirit of God, and hearts are touched and decisions and commitments are made. That's plowing the ground, but nothing else is ever done. Things go along and people live in their own merry way, and the fallow ground appears. Before anything can be done, the fallow ground has to be broken up again.
That fallow ground gets weeds, thorns and thistles in it, and sometimes getting the thorns, weeds and thistles out is not as easy as it sounds. To provoke your thinking today, we trust under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God, we ask you, “Have you got any fallow ground in your heart? Have you made an effort to do what God would have you do, but things have come in and you haven't got it done yet, and the ground lies fallow? Your heart is being stirred again and you think you are going to have to go out and drop a few seeds in the ground, and everything is going to be all right. It can't be that way. You have to plow the fallow ground again. You have to break up the clods.

This is an awesome explanation or response the the original post about the eventual blooming of flowers from seeds planted in rocky soil. The seeds must be planted in soil that is conducive to germination. "Except a seed falls to the ground and die it will not grow", this is a little paraphrased to the actual word of God, but the seed must die as we must die to our flesh in order for us to grow spiritually. I loved yur entire explanation.

[Travis Richey]

I find this short parable in Luke 13 a good companion with the parables you mention of the soils, and wheat and tares.

"Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

For poor soil to become good soil, it must be prepared, changed, fertilized...and it is the work of the Holy Spirit that does that in us. Other translations use "dung" and "manure" in place of fertilize...so the soil of our life has to be dug up, and conditioned. Having ourself be "tilled" and "manured" might not be a pleasant experience...much as the talk of being disciplined that we find in Hebrews. But it is required to change us from poor and unfruitful soil to good, fruit-producing followers.

John 15 is another wonderful teaching of this, concerning how the Vine Dresser prunes us to bear more and better fruit.