A Bumper Crop of Joy

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Is there a connection between the condition of our heart and having joy in the Lord?  

            In his book Soul Keeping,  John Orberg says that when he studies the Parable of the Four Soils found in three of the gospels, he likes to think of the “soil” as the “soul”.

           If we want the seeds…such as JOY…. to grow in our souls, we must prepare the soil of our heart. We don’t want to find ourselves with a HARDENED SOUL.  Jesus said that some seeds fell on the path.  The path is where people walk.  It’s hard and dry.  Our hearts can become like that….so hard that even a good seed can’t grow. 

         What causes a hardened heart?  Sin, unbelief, anger, pride, resentment, bitterness, guilt, envy, jealousy. Underneath the hardness is often fear.  The fear of being rejected. The fear of looking foolish. The fear of being hurt..again!

 

        But here’s the HOPE:  It only takes a tiny bit of softness in the soil to give the seed a chance! The seed is strong---stronger than you can imagine.  Because it’s planted by the Master Gardener! Just look at any sidewalk….One tiny grass seed can break through the hard cement if it can find a little room to breathe. That says to me that a hardened heart, a hardened soul, is not hopeless.  When that seed breaks through, we will find the fruit of JOY!

May the soil of your heart and the soul of your faith overflow with a bumper crop of JOY!