Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Matthew 13:8 NIV

Since moving to our new home a few years ago, I have become quite the gardener.  I am learning the best times to plant the seeds and how starting them earlier inside gives the plants a better chance to grow.  All these things aside, it comes back to the seed.  In order for it to grow, it must be planted.  The same principle is true in our own lives.  If we are longing to leave a mighty oak legacy for the next generation, then we have to plant the seeds of faith throughout our life.

The first thing we need to ask ourselves is, "What are we planting?"  

There is a big difference between a seed and a rock.  Someone could plant rocks all day, but they are not going to suddenly grow into a boulder.  In other words, if you are doing things throughout the course of your life to impress people, then you are planting a rock.  It is never going to go any farther than you.  On the other hand, if you are investing your time and planting your seeds in people’s lives, then you are going to leave a legacy for years to come.

Once we have decided to plant seeds, we must be careful where we are planting them.  The soil must be just right for the seed to grow and be fruitful.  The same is true of people.  There are four different types of soils, or people, in the world as seen in Matthew 13:1-23.  

The first type of people are only interested in themselves and their own desires.  They are not interested in anything spiritual.

The next type of soil would be those people interested in the comfortable life.  They decide to follow Christ, but give up when life gets difficult.

The third type of soil is the crowded life.  These individuals have surrounded themselves with too many things, whether they are material items or just busy schedules.  This chokes out any time to spend on their relationship with God, so they cannot grow.

The final type of soil is the complete life.  These are the people that take God’s truths and plant them deep in their lives and then begin to impact those around them.

Take some time to evaluate your own life today; what are you planting and in what type of soil?  If you need to, make some changes today that will result in mighty oaks to shelter the future generations.

I encourage you to think about how you would answer the following questions:

• How much time do I spend in God’s Word every week?  Look at your schedule and see how you can carve out time to devote to spending in the Word.
• What things in my life are not essential?  Can I start making changes this week?
• What values would I like to leave behind for the next generation?

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for the truth found in Your Word.  May I plant it deep into my heart so that when the storms of life come, I can draw strength from it.  I pray that You will help me to be a shining example of Your light and love to the world around me so that I can leave a lasting legacy for You.  In Your Precious Name, Amen.