I’ve been thinking about this heart problem I’ve been diagnosed with. You remember…the one I thought was a mouth problem until reminded my tongue was simply speaking from the abundance of my heart. Yeah, that heart problem. I’ve recognized this abundance my mouth is speaking from is just that…an abundance. Yes, I have an overflowing, bountiful crop. And with a harvest so apparent I’m remembering something I’m surprised I let slip. You don’t get a harvest without planting some seed. But what is this seed?
Since I am by no means a tiller of ground, whenever I think of seed, my mind goes to Mark chapter four. When Jesus spoke the parable recorded here it appeared He was teaching a lesson on farming. He speaks of sowers, soil, and seed. However, when His disciples ask Him to explain the meaning of the parable, Jesus replies by saying, “The sower sows the word“. As it turns out, Jesus isn’t talking about farming after all.
In reality, Jesus is using a story about farming in order to draw a parallel, and in doing so He shares an all important truth. He reveals the very nature of words. According to Jesus…words are seeds. Any word, every word is a seed, and seeds take root, and they turn into fruit…and low and behold…you have yourself a harvest. Words produce a harvest.
Apparently, with the abundant crop I’m seeing and hearing in my life of late, some words have gotten planted in my heart. They’ve taken root and have turned into fruit. And now, with ever so much diligence, I begin the grueling task of pulling weeds, an abundance of weeds that have overtaken the garden of my heart. Yes, I’ll be busy uprooting words…lying words from the Liar, words I’ve said in my heart, deceived into thinking would do no harm if not spoken. Carelessly simulating the Serpent himself…
…you said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:13-14
Oh, the bitter consequences that can come from words thought hidden in the heart.
Needless to say, I’ll be doing some serious weeding! And I’ll be doing more than just that, for later in Mark 4, Jesus actually addresses things thought hidden and couples it with yet another sobering truth.
For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear… Mark 4:22-24
Yes, words are seeds, and I must be ever aware.
What seed will I heed…and, what seed will I weed?
So beautiful and convicting at the same time! God bless you for taking on the hard task of pruning what’s in your heart!
~stopping by from FMF
Thanks, Stephanie. Not pruning is harder in the end. 🙂 Thanks for visiting. Bless you…
Dang, Lisa. You know how to dive into the deep stuff, the stuff that makes us want to squirm. I love your probing heart that’s open to this pruning, that questions what seed to heed and what to weed (love that, by the way). And your post today makes me think, too, of how the words we sow in our writing have the potential to bear much fruit (or not) – and what a glorious thought that is, to plant a garden with our words that nourishes others. Thank you for giving me more to think on today.
Well thank you, Amber. I really like what you added to this thought concerning our written words. Excellent observation. Thank you so much for stopping by. Thank YOU for making ME think too! 🙂