The words “good ground” come from the parable Jesus taught about the Sower and the seed found in the three gospels: Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. Interestingly enough, in these parables the believer is represented by the dirt. We need to learn how to be good dirt.
I think some assume the good ground is Christians and the rest are not. But the parable applies to those who receive the Word, the ones who sit in our churches every week. We need to accept that being called a Christian is something far below being the Christian that God would have us be.
If we want to have a life from which fruit would grow, we must simply be good ground before a Holy God that would then use us. For the land to produce fruit, it does not take striving but yielding from which the fruit can then grow.
A principle in the kingdom is that you gain more when you yield more. “Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; in this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you” (Job 22:21 AMP).
When the ground becomes hardened, it cannot receive the seeds from which growth can then begin. Similarly, a hardened Christian life is one that is better at justifying one’s positions and actions than they are at seeking God’s lessons and directions.
How long will the Lord have to keep you in the belly of a fish until you will yield yourself to Him? “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17 NKJV).
When the ground is shallow, it lacks the depth from which the roots can grow deeper. This is the Christian life that chases after the microwave meals that produce instant gratification. This kind of Christian life may sprout like a brilliant flower but dwindles at the first sign of a hot summer day.
You won’t grow higher in your faith unless you’re rooted deeper in the Word. “Some people are like seeds on rocky soil. They welcome the word with joy whenever they hear it, but they don’t develop any roots. They believe for a while, but when their faith is tested, they abandon it” (Luke 8:13 NOG).
When the ground is filled with many things, it lacks the space from which faith can be grown. This is like a Christian life that seems to be productive, yet it is only busy doing things apart from God. When your schedule is full of the natural, the spiritual will not find an opening on your calendar.
How you spend your time reveals what you value most. Jesus taught, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 NKJV).
When the ground is good, the fruit will follow. The proof of good ground in a Christian is in the evidence of the fruit. You can fake the ground, but you cannot fake the fruit. If you want to produce good fruit then you must be good ground for there is no other way.
Whatever you pour out is whatever you’re filled with. “You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thornbushes. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart” (Luke 6:44-45 CEV).
Good ground is soft ground that allows the truth to be planted. It takes an open mind to receive truth, and it takes a yielding mind to accept one’s own understanding might be in error. Part of growing in wisdom is in discovering our own foolish opinions.
If you always think you’re right, then you’ll never learn where you’re wrong. “He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26 AMPC).
The good ground has depth and allows the truths to burrow deeper. This life patiently and diligently digs ever deeper to discover the hidden truths that can only be understood in the deepest places of one’s own heart. This life is not in a hurry because it is walking in eternity with God.
If we want to grow in our faith, we need to be planted in the Word. “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15 NKJV).
Good ground is cleared ground that has room for the Spirit of God. This life sets aside the time and space to be used by God. It is a life set apart from the things of the world such that it can be useful in the hands of God. This is a life that depends more on God than one’s own ability to get things done.
There is a difference between being busy and being in God’s will. “Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days. So don’t be foolish, but try to understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 CJB).
The secret to being good ground is being yielded ground. Striving is your natural instinct but yielding is your necessary step to then grow by the Spirit of God. The sooner you get off the mouse wheel of human effort, the sooner the Holy Spirit can take you further than you can even dream.
Stop telling God He can’t change you and just let Him. The Lord says, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27 NKJV).
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius