Daily Devotional For Thursday, November 13, 2025
Good morning Southside. We are making our way through Matthew’s Gospel and today we come to Matthew 13:18-23:
“Hear then the parable of the sower. (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. (20) The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; (21) yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the ]word, immediately he falls away. (22) And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (23) And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (NASB).
In this Parable of the Sower, Jesus was revealing His mission while teaching His disciples and us our mission today. The seed sown on the rocky soil did have some soil to initiate growth but not enough to sustain that growth. This represents people who understand some of the Word but do not allow God’s word to work its way into the soil of their heart. They have no root and so when pressure or persecution or perplexities come, they wither. They fall away from the lack of trust in God, faith in God and His Word and the shallowness of their heart.
The devil loves to use sorrow, pain and loss to convince us that God is not good nor fair. The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear the Word and allow it to take root in their life, but allow the worries, cares, distractions and conflicts to rob them of their relationship to God. This can include materialism, a desire for more and more, as well as daily routines that can choke out one’s relationship to God. Wealth is fleeting and unreliable. This can include social media, media, entertainment, etc. None of these are necessarily bad, but they can choke out our relationship to God.
The seeds that fell on the good soil yielded fruit. Those who preach the Gospel yield others who preach the Gospel. The desire to share one’s faith and testimony to evangelize the world should grow from one being in the Word. The issue is not the message because it is the same. The issue is not the messenger as long as that messenger is true to the Word. The point is the Gospel will not be received by all who hear nor in the same way as others receive it.
This reminds us of Ezekiel 2:5, 7, “As for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them . . . (7) But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious” (NASB). New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes this:
“Jesus said the seed sown among thorns yields nothing. When we don’t obey God, soon our lives become unusable to him. How easy it is to agree with Christ with no intention of obeying. It is easy to denounce the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth, and still do nothing to change our ways. Considering eternal life with God, are your present worries justified? If you had everything you could want but forfeited eternal life with God, would those things be so desirable? Don’t let worldly cares and the illusion of wealth deter you from obeying God” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 266).
If we could summarize, the “road” represents the hard heart. The rocky soil represents the shallow heart. The thorns represent the crowded heart. The good soil represents a heart open to the word of God and the voice of the Holy Spirit. The good soil represents the genuinely saved disciples of Jesus. The road, the rocky soil and the thorns do not represent people who come to Christ and then lose their salvation. Thus an idea rejects the biblical doctrine of eternal security (see Rom. 8:37-39; Jude 1:24; John 10:27-28) All these soils other than the good soils represent people who have a fake faith. This would agree with the apostates in 1 John 2:19.
Assignment: Answer these questions: First, is your life faithful so that it produces fruit? Is the soil of your heart watered regularly with the Living Water and the water of the Word? Do you keep the soil of your heart soft so that you will keep short accounts with God, asking for forgiveness from Him and others so that you keep reconciled to believers where there is conflict? Second, are you distracted with worries and things of this world? Do you seek more His kingdom or yours? Are you slack in your daily quiet time and being with the body of Christ? Third, are you shallow so that your life is governed by emotion with no real solid foundation? When the storms of life come, do they shake you to your core? Fourth, do you stubbornly reject the truth of God’s word in areas of your life? Do you pick and choose from God’s Word what you will obey and not obey?
Scripture To Meditate On: Ezekiel 36:26-27, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, give me a heart with good soil so that I allow Your word to have deep roots in my life. Please water the soil of my heart with your Word so that I am able to hide Your word in my heart and not sin against You. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly