Luke 8: 11-15
"This is the meaning of the parable: the seed is God's word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and recieve it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.  The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasure of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest good-hearted people who hear God's word and cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest."

This parable made me think of all the times that my life has been each of these seeds. So fragile. It is easily swept up with the wind and taken where it did not want to go. Crows trying to pick at them carry them off to devour them. But there is nothing that we can do except land on soil. Yet even still some times when we do land on the soil but that crow will still try to pluck us from where we belong. But if we are rooted already and starting to grow it will be too much for the crow and it will die because it is lacking in food.

If we think about that for just a second it is radical. If everyone on this planet started to plant themselves in the good soil, reading and absorbing God's word, then there would be no place for Satan. He would grow hungry because we would not give in and he would be destroyed. Not only that but this place would be filled with fruit, orchards everywhere you'd look.

I know that for me personally, I have been guilty of all of three of these. In fact it even happens when I think that I am in good soil  I will hear a sermon and feel convicted but as soon as the service is over I start to think "what is for lunch today, I am starved." The message that had convinced me that I was going to change my life completely gone from my mind. Yet I was still in the good soil and growing more and more each day. Is that even possible? Is is possible to be in good soil yet not be applying everything you are learning? I view it this way, when you are placed in good soil you start to grow roots that anchor you down and then you grow verticaly. If you are not absorbing the nutrients you will grow hunry and shrival up. If you absorb the nutrients you will prosper. Yet some times you only absorb some and that puts your growth rate at a slower pace and there will be less fruit. But we should want there to be as much fruit as possible so that others can pluck some from our tree but we will still be able to produce more to replace the fruit that has been taken.

Application: Apply to my life what was convicting during Ali's devo last night, don't just let it be a fleeting thought.