The sower

As Christians we are constantly finding ourselves wanting to grow closer to God. We're going to church, we're going to Bible studies, we're praying every day and we're reading our Bibles. What next?
Well the parable of the sower tells us a little bit about that.
Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear."
So there it is, what is your heart like? Is it like the path where things are so packed down, so hardened that the seed that is planted in your heart each time you go to church, or pray or read your Bible doesn't have a chance to make it's way in? We first of all have to till the soil, soften our hearts so that the things we have an opportunity to grow from, we do so.
Is your heart like the rocky places where the seed make sit in, your heart is soft enough to allow the seed in, but there is no way to let it grow roots. We have to spend all week preparing to be fed on Sundays and at Bible studies. We can't just do little or no maintenance all week and expect to be moved by the Holy Spirit on Sundays.
Finally, is your heart like the last little bit of seed that got dropped. It fell in a place where the soil was decent, not hardened or packed down and not rocky. It was good soil, maybe even great soil but there were weeds and thorns in there. Now we all know that weeds and thorns have a mind of their own, and in those circumstances they will eventually choke out everything else trying to live there. You can't grow flowers and or grass in the middle of weeds, they will take over. This part of the parable is referring to our lifestyles. We must examine ourselves and determine what parts of our lives are being fruitful and which parts are weedlike and choking out the works of God. There are always going to be distractions and things in our lives that draw us away from God, we must come to a place where we are able to set those things aside and give them little or no meaning as compared with knowing Christ.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!