A huge crowd surrounded Jesus. This teacher and healer had gained quite a reputation, so lots of people wanted to hear what He had to say. So much so, he climbed into a boat and shared a parable, a story with a spiritual message that isn't obvious unless you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear it.
Matthew 13:1-4, 18-19 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.” 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
Of all the messages Jesus could share in front of one of the biggest crowds ever gathered around Him, you might be surprised He chose this particular message. He didn't start this message from the boat talking about life after death. He didn't talk about wealth or poverty. Instead Jesus described a journey towards becoming fruitful.
Jesus tells us that in His Kingdom you have unlimited potential. God has greater ideas in mind for our lives than we do. As we connect to God we can begin to discover our unlimited potential to touch the lives of other people.
Jesus is sharing about the invisible Kingdom of God - a Kingdom that will one day include people from every nation, a Kingdom that advances with peace, love, faith, and hope rather than through war and destruction. Jesus is the King of a New Kingdom that does not separate people with borders but includes all who desire to let Him be their King.
In the story of the soils, Jesus describes the first soil and how we can learn to discern God’s voice in our lives when we develop a posture of receptivity. We can move from a hardened heart to a vulnerable one and overcome spiritual silence by distinguishing God’s voice from among the crowd and from our own.
Do you have ears to hear? Do you want to hear from God? Do you want God's guidance in your life?
So often, the idea of hearing from God is associated with people who are mentally ill or people claiming to know the date for the end of the world.
When I talk about hearing God's voice, I mean the ability to discern the "still small voice," the "whisper" from the God who created us.
Before you check out or discredit this idea, let me just say this: God speaks.
I have heard His voice - never audibly, but I have had thoughts that aren't my own. I can tell the difference between my thoughts and God's thoughts because God's thoughts challenge me to do something good for others and usually require faith and courage.
When you have a thought ask yourself:
If the answer is "yes" to all three then it may very well be God is speaking to you because this is not normally how we think.
God's voice is that prompting to say an encouraging word to a co-worker, that prompting to hug someone who seems discouraged, that prompting to give to someone in need, that prompting to call or text someone who comes to mind only to discover your efforts are exactly what they needed at that moment.
God speaks when we hear that encouraging word from a co-worker, when we receive a hug in a moment we feel discouraged, when someone gives to us when we are in need, when we receive a call or text from someone exactly at the moment we needed it.
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The more we listen and respond, the clearer God's voice can become.
Have you had any of these miraculous moments? If not, are you willing to consider that this could happen for you? If you have, but it has been awhile, are you willing to hear His voice again?