I tend to think about this type of soil as the Hardened Heart.
Here is what Jesus said to us about the Wayside Soil:
“ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.” –Matthew 13:4
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.” –Matthew 13:19
“And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds [a]of the air came and devoured it.” – Mark 4:4
“And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.”- Mark 4:15
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.” –Luke 8:5
“Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”-Luke 8:12
“There are some that hear the word, but never meditate on it, never lay it to their hearts, never cover it with second thoughts.” (Poole)
There is another verse that intrigues me, and bears witness to my personal testimony of heart work.
When I was talking to my kids about this, Rosie asked me, “what softens the ground?”
Well, I believe each situation is individualized, and God doesn’t follow a rule book on these issues, so it’s important to be able to hear His voice and be functional in the spiritual gifts so that you can help other people discern in their individual moments with God.
These are the things that the Lord has revealed to me that soften the ground of our heart:
- The Holy Spirit’s Drawing
God drew you to Him by His Holy Spirit. You did not “find God” in your own efforts. He drew you, and you responded to Him, you agreed to His invitation.
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:44 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.6.44.NKJV
- Addressing the Veil
- Satan blinds the unbelieving: Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
II Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/2co.4.3-4.NKJV
- The Law: Religion
- Religion, and carrying of the Old Testament law into our New Testament life with Jesus, spending your life doing for acceptance rather than from, causes a veil, it makes things blurry, unclear, unknown. Just like the veil Moses wore to obscure the radiating glory from time spent with God, that same metaphorical veil will obscure the glory of the new covenant, the glory of the Righteousness in Christ Jesus that Jesus died for us to have.
“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
II Corinthians 3:7-18 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/2co.3.7-18.NKJV
- Rain of Righteousness
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”
Hosea 10:12 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/hos.10.12.NKJV
What the Lord revealed to my heart here is that sometimes, when you have a very religious upbringing, your heart can become hardened from that— I talk specifically about this below.
Sometimes in all of our attempts to do the right thing at church and “for God,” we forget that the blood of Jesus already made us righteous. And in Hosea, he refers to a “rain of righteousness” to soften that fallow (hardened, uncultivated) ground.
Chew on it.
Mama Talks Jesus 
Leave a comment