Luke 8:1-15

Jesus traveled with His disciples and many women who He had healed.  The women also helped support His ministry financially.  I love the fact that they traveled with Jesus.  In Jewish culture, women were not supposed to learn from rabbi's.  Jesus showed that all barriers had been wiped away and all are welcome at His table.  Unfortunately it has taken the world thousands of years to catch up and in many countries women are still treated as second class citizens today. 

The parable of the four soils is one of my favorites. 

v. 11-15 Jesus describes the means to the parable.  The seed is the word of God. 

• Seeds that fell on the ground but were trampled on and the birds ate up.  Those are people who hear then the devil comes and takes away the Word from their hearts so that they will not believe. 
• Some seeds fell on rocky places.  Those are people who receive the Word with joy but they have no roots.  They believe for awhile but in time of testing they fall away. 
• Some seeds fell among thorns.  Those are people who hear but are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, they do not mature.
• The last seeds fell on good soil.  Those are people with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

I was mainly the seed that fell on rocky places.  When I received the Word I fell away quickly because I had no roots and stayed that way for a long time.  I am finally at the last and it has taken many years to get here.  The soil has to be good to grow healthy seeds.  Sometimes we surround ourselves with toxic people and find it hard to grow in that environment.  Some we can not avoid yet others we can choose to keep away from.  Look around you to see what types of seeds are in your life.  When the seed is planted it needs care right away.  It must have living water to quench it's thirst and it must get light from the Son in order to grow.  The longer it grows the deeper the roots and when the storms come and the roots are strong the plant will not be brought down.  It will remain stable against all odds.