If you stepped up to the challenges of Lent this season, you may be experiencing soil prep. A harsh metal blade breaking up clods of clay. Is God stirring your soil? Will you persevere through the plow?

Maybe God’s rooted out some grub worms—unhappy flesh whining at doing without, such as headaches, hunger pains, or cravings for sugar or TV.

Perhaps you’ve discovered some good things in your dirt you didn’t know were there. Some earthworms of perseverance and faithfulness?

God’s prepping your soil. In the parable of the soils found in Matthew 13, Jesus mentions four types:

• The path
• The rocky place
• The weedy place
• The good soil

Only one was fruitful—the good soil.

But what’s the deal? Four different spots, same field, same dirt.

Only one had been plowed. Prepared for seed. A hard metal blade had broken up dirt clods, spit out rocks, and coughed up weeds.

If you’re dealing with some challenges or this fasting throw down has thrown you for a loop, thank God.

I mean it. Thank Him.

He’s prepping your soil. Seed will follow and later—a harvest of righteousness.

Don’t fight the Farmer. Persevere through the plowing.

But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13: 23 NIV)

Questions:

What is uncomfortable or challenging right now?

Is there something God may be:

Uprooting?

Unearthing?

Softening?

Describe prepped soil.

Compare to unprepped soil.

Who preps the soil?

What is the soil’s job?

Are you allowing God to prep your soil?

If you stepped up to the challenges of Lent this season, you may be experiencing soil prep. A harsh metal blade breaking up clods of clay. Click To Tweet
Is God stirring your soil? Click To Tweet
Maybe God's rooted out some grub worms—unhappy flesh whining at doing without. Click To Tweet
Perhaps you've discovered some good things in your dirt you didn’t know were there. Some earthworms of perseverance and faithfulness? Click To Tweet
Only one was fruitful—the good soil. Only one had been plowed. Click To Tweet
Don’t fight the Farmer. Persevere through the plowing. Click To Tweet