Good Soil

“A sower went out to sow his seed…And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” Luke 8:5-8

The seed here is the Word of God, and perhaps the soil is our hearts. There are different kinds of hearts. In 2006, I was very frustrated that even if I prayed early in the morning, and thought about what I read in the Bible, by 10 in the morning, I could not remember even the verse I read! My heart was like the footpath, where the birds just picked up the seeds and ate it!

Although the Word is spread far and wide- we can listen to it on TV, on Youtube, in prayer meetings, we can read it in on billboards, on websites, there is much more seed the enemy is planting! I think we have to think of more "creative" ways to plant the seed in our heart, to help it germinate and grow. We cannot allow the enemy to stifle it with all the work we need to do, to choke it with the lures of materialism, to drown it with the so many forms of entertainment, and our desire for a life of ease and comfort.

That is why in 2006, I decided to illustrate the Bible verse I read in the morning. I would just cut up pictures in magazines and glue it on to my prayer journal. It helped immensely to embed God's Word in my heart. I can say it not only helped me grow spiritually, and given me joy, but I also discovered I could paint! Truly, what God has planted in my heart produced so much more than I could ever had imagined! I even started a blog in 2006. 

I joined lovely groups on Facebook about Bible journaling. Most of us paint on our Bibles. Some of you may disagree with doing that, but I try hard not to get too much paint so I can still read the Word. Also, I have so many Bibles. 

My main Bible is soooo full of notations, from past studies -another way I try to place the Word in my heart, and help it permeate my life! I have to say though that even if I try all sorts of ways to study the Word, and listen to what God has to say to me, I really need His help to be consistent, and be the good soil I need to be!