“Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Mat. 13:8 NLT) “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Mat. 13:23 NLT)
The last kind of heart we will discover is the fertile heart. It is much different from all the other hearts we’ve been studying. It’s not hanging out by the roadside where the ground is so hard the Seed can’t make penetration. It doesn’t have hidden rock underneath its soil which causes the little plant to wither away once it springs up. And it is not found among the thorns where the things of this world could choke the little seed to death. No, this precious heart is fertile and capable of producing some serious fruit!
Now, because the heart is fertile, it can hear the Word, receive the Word and its roots begin to grow deep into the soil. The fertile heart loves the Word of God and has a deep understanding that apart from the Master Gardner, it will never produce anything. It has also come to the realization that it cannot sustain life and growth on its own. It is totally dependent upon the Master Gardner and acknowledges that all of its nourishment comes from Him. And as a result of having a fertile heart, the Master Gardner begins to pour out His Life and provide Living Water so that the little seed can begin to grow. And grow it does! Its roots grow down deep and it begins to bear some delicious fruit; some thirty, sixty or even a hundred times as much as the Master Gardner planted! That’s a lot of fruit!
For a human being to “bear fruit” sounds kind of strange doesn’t it? To bear fruit means a couple things. First, there is the fruit of the spirit; which is love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And another kind of fruit we bear for our Father is the fruit of PEOPLE! Do you know that the Master Gardner, Our Creator, has created us to lead the people around us to Eternal Life? He saves us and pours His Life into us so that we can take what we’ve been given and give it out to those around us! Listen to the words of Jesus: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Mat. 5:13-14 NLT)
The fertile heart is a city set on a hill! It is the salt of the earth! Our lamp has been lit so that we can shine The Way to those around us! We are the hope of those around us; not because we are so perfect and wonderful - far from it! - but because know the One who is! Jesus said: “Wake up and look around. The fields are ALREADY ripe for harvest.” Did you catch that? There are people out in the field who are ready to hear the Good News. They are looking for answers. They are looking for Hope. They are looking for something that is dependable, unshakeable and solid. They are looking for Love. And God will use our fertile hearts to shine His light through us so that others can see and know Him too!
In closing out our study of the four different kinds of hearts, we can see that through the Parable of the Sower, Jesus has made an appeal for us to consider what kind of soil our heart represents. Is it on the roadside? Is it a little rocky? Is it thorn-infested? If it is, all we have to do is humble ourselves and submit to the Master Gardner. He is faithful to do the cultivating so we will become fertile and fruitful.
Friends, this is the kind of heart our Father is looking to plant His life in…The fertile heart.