In this daily Bible reading Jesus tells the people the ‘Parable of the Sower.’ This parable is about various people who hear the Word of God. Jesus compares them to various soils in which the seed of the Word of God is planted.
The first seed fell by the road and was eaten by the birds. These are people who hear God’s Word and have no understanding. Satan takes the Word from them.
The second seed fell into shallow soil among the rocks. These are the people who hear the Word and respond enthusiastically. However, when trials come, they then turn away from the Word. Their belief was shallow and did not sustain them through the trials that came into their lives.
The third seed fell into soil among the thorns. As this seed grows, the thorns choke them out. These are the people who hear and believe the Word. However, the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of riches keeps them from bearing fruit in their lives.
The fourth seed fell into good soil. These are the people who hear God’s Word and believe. These people cling tenaciously to the Word of God and bear much fruit.
When I hear preachers say that we can be assured of our Salvation by proclaiming belief in Jesus Christ, I am reminded of the second soil which had no depth. These are the people who likely proclaimed belief in Jesus. However, they turned away from the belief when they were confronted with trials that tested their Faith.
