Good and bad soil (2) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

As he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
Matthew 13:4.

Good and bad soil (2)
The first type of soil was hard ground, possibly a well trodden path on the edge of the field. The sower scattered the seed, it fell on the path, but failed to penetrate it. It did not take root and was blown away or swept away by the rain, or, as here, birds devoured it. Good seed had been invested, but nothing came of it: it was total failure!

Why, to use the figurative meaning of the parable, can God's Word prove ineffective in man's heart? The message was not too complicated or difficult to understand. The hearers refused to listen and accept it. They didn't want to understand it. Perhaps one thought, "Not again!" Another was against the speaker or the Bible; so the message went over his head. A third was thinking of other things that were more important for him; so he refused to listen and remained unreceptive.

Jesus explained that it is "the wicked one", the devil himself, who "comes and snatches away" (v. 19). The message can make no deep, permanent impression and is irretrievably lost.

Hard ground of this kind was apparent with the religious leaders of the time. They were principally against Jesus and His message. They "rejected the will of God for themselves" (Luke 7:30) and therefore no fruit was produced.

Today the Word of God is still being preached. But hard-hearted listeners will not accept it and consequently produce no fruit for God.

(to be continued on Thursday)

Today's reading: Leviticus 5:1-13 · Psalms 51:1-11