Matthew 13:4, "As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up." Matthew 13:19, "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path."

Think

We've all got issues. But can we be honest enough to discover what the REAL issue is? Because if we are honest, we would probably discover that our real issue isn't a surface issue, it is actually a heart issue. For some, this act of self-examination may be difficult, because you may find that you have a hard heart. As a result, it's resistant to this type of self-discovery. Maybe it's an area in your life where you might be hardened and unreceptive to God's leadership. The Bible tells us that the Word of God can't even penetrate some hearts because they have become so hard. That can be a very lonely and frightening issue to have. In the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke about this type of heart. The path represented the heart that the seed, the Word of God, fell on. The birds, representing the enemy, never gave the seed an opportunity to penetrate the soil because they ate the seed. It may be a difficult thing to understand, but your heart is in the midst of a battle. The enemy knows God wants you to give your heart over to Him so it can be transformed, softened. Jesus wants you to have life and live it to the fullest with the promise of an eternity with Him in Heaven. So the enemy uses his own weapons of destruction to trample our hearts and harden them if we continuously disobey and disregard God's Word. The enemy also knows that for those who have never given their lives to Christ, there is a point at which we will not have another chance to hear and accept God's Word. The enemy desires to steal that opportunity away. But there is hope! God can certainly soften even the most hardened heart through His Word if you are willing to humble yourself and follow Him. When we hear God's Word we may get mad, because of the truth that confronts us. We may become sad, because that truth reveals the condition of our heart. But don't stop listening. Don't let madness or sadness trample the soil of your heart. Instead, let God's Word penetrate your heart so that you can be glad in the hope, joy, and future you can have with Him.

Act

Read Matthew 13:18-23. We all have 1 of 4 kinds of hearts the seed of the Word of God falls on. Which one do you have? Let God do a work in your heart to prepare it to be fruitful for His Kingdom.

Pray

Father God, thank You for Your Word that is so powerful and so tender at the same time. I know that You are waging war on our behalf so that we don't have to spend eternity away from You. Synchronize my heart with Yours so that my heart beats fast for what Yours does. Soften my heart so that I can receive Your Word in my life.