Heart Soil

Jesus talked about seeds (the Word of God) being sown in different soils and the resulting fruit, or lack thereof.  It is commonly called the Parable of the Sower and can be found in Matthew 13.  The rocky soil, the path (or compacted soil) and the soil full of thorns or weeds ended with the seed producing no fruit; either the seed never had the opportunity to grow or the young plant died.  The seed was the same in each case but the soil was the defining factor.  He was obviously using soil as a metaphor for the condition of our hearts in receiving or not receiving the Word of God.  

I have read or heard that parable for years, and wondered, “what soil was I?”.  I wanted to be the right soil but I wasn’t quite sure exactly what that looked like or how to produce it.  Was it just something you were or weren’t?  You know, just like genetics giving you your height, skin color, hair, health, athletic ability, etc? Did you just have a good “heart soil” or not? 

Greenhouses and farmers

I am a gardener and worked in greenhouses for 7 years.  In a greenhouse the soil is usually prepackaged with no weeds and sometimes isn’t really true soil, but a “growing medium”.  A growing medium is usually sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, and maybe compost, coconut coir, wetting agents or other such things. This creates an environment that is easy for the plants to grow in since they are limited by their pot size and may be on a timed schedule.  But in the garden and on the farm you have real soil.  Soil can be rocky, dry, clay, lacking in humus (organic matter) and a host of other possible problems.  Making your soil better can be as easy as adding some bagged manure in a small garden but on a farm it can take a lot more time.  Your options can be adding manure if you can get your hands on enough of it, (for instance if you have a large livestock operation you run).  You can salvage what organic matter you have by plowing as little as possible.

Cover Crops are Made to Die

A time tested and time consuming way to improve your soil is to add a cover crop.  That crop grows and then you cut it and plow it under to let it die and improve your soil.  You do not get a harvest from your cover crop!  Its only purpose is to improve the soil for a future crop and harvest.  That may seem like a waste to put in all that effort in planting and fertilizing and waiting just to watch the crop die.  But the farmer who does it is hopeful and wise and patient.  He knows this strategy works and will reap him better harvests in the future. 

Fruitful

I have been reading a book by Beth Moore called “Chasing Vines” which illustrates the parallels between Viticulture and how God works in us to be fruitful.  Viticulture is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes which of course is very closely related to winemaking.  The bible is full of metaphors about vines and branches, wine and agriculture in reference to us as His people. In it she talks about soil as part of being fruitful.  Soil is made better by adding organic matter.  Organic material ultimately comes from dead material: dead plants, leaves, manure, microorganisms, insects, etc. She states that sometimes the dead things in our lives are meant to make our soil better so that we can be more fruitful.  Those dead things can be dreams, relationships, jobs, a loved one, expectations, almost anything that is lost and brings us pain.  It’s a sobering but hopeful thought.  

God is the Master Gardener

God is the master gardener and we are not in a greenhouse limited by the size of our pot.  We are in the real world and we have real soil and are lovingly unlimited.  Our roots can go as far as they please.  He prunes, He waters, gives sunshine and He plants seeds but He also improves the soil of our hearts.  Jesus said to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-26).  A cross is a symbol of death, death to ourselves, death to our will, our dreams, our selfishness and so on.  That death is the organic matter our roots are craving.  It’s the dead material that will be a source of nourishment that will ultimately produce fruit, a harvest in Him.  Would I prefer another way?  You better believe it!  But even the Father had to have His Son die to produce the harvest of us as his kids.  Life has suffering at times but to have that suffering made useful we have His hand use it for us to make our heart soil, good soil.  Good soil which receives the Word of God which produces a harvest.