Keep Scattering Seeds of the Gospel

And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.  -Luke 8:4, 5 (KJV) 

Near the edge of my driveway there is a small patch of ground where the grass just doesn’t want to grow.  Part of the problem is we have accidentally run over this part of the yard when parking our cars.  If this happens after a rain the ground is soft and as a result the tires leave muddy tracks.  Then when the ground dries the dirt becomes hard and packed down.  A little over a month ago I roped off part of this area with a temporary sort of fence to keep visitors, and my family, from driving over this part of the yard.  I also planted grass seed.  However, the seed I planted is having a difficult time taking root as the ground stays so hard.  Getting the grass to grow in this area is going to be a challenge. 

Jesus likened our going out and telling others the gospel to a farmer sowing seeds.  Jesus said in the first scenario how the seed can often fall along the path on dry and hard ground making it vulnerable to the birds which come along and quickly devour it.  As we seek to minister to those around us and share with them the love of Christ we will find the reality of Jesus’ parable.  Peoples’ hearts can be so hardened they will not allow the seeds of the gospel to take root.  No doubt you have experienced the frustration of sharing Christ with someone only to have the person reject the Lord. 

What is to be our response to those around us who continue to refuse to receive Christ?  We are to do as the Lord has commanded and keep on being His faithful witnesses.  We will often have to scatter handfuls of seed to see just one plant spring up.  So it is with the gospel.  If we share Christ with ten people there is a good possibility one of them will open his or her heart and receive the Lord.  This shows us we have our work cut out for us as followers of Christ.  We cannot sit back with the hope that others will do the work for us.  Instead, we are called to rise up in faith and share the love of Jesus with a lost and hurting world. 

As you go about your day think of the gospel message as a handful of seeds.  Scatter them all around and pray they take root in peoples’ hearts.  Someone in your life today needs to hear how in Jesus there is hope.  Take time to pray, share, and shine the light of Christ – today and each day.