Back to the Basics is our theme for the next month or two.  It seems a fitting approach for God to direct us.  When life gets cluttered, vision gets foggy, and/or strategies become overwhelming, getting back to the fundamentals of life allows us to “get our footing” and then begin to take the next steps.

This past Sunday, we were reminded that when we revisit the fundamentals of following Jesus, we must be willing to “listen” and “seek understanding.”  Jesus alludes to this in his parable, or story, of the different types of soil.  In a sense, Jesus was describing how you and I may respond when we are presented with truths about the Kingdom of God—or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Matthew, chapter 13, is where you can find this parable of Jesus.  You can insert yourself in various places:  as a sower of seed, as one of the types of soil, or the seed itself.  As Jesus explains the meaning of the parable to his disciples, he refers to the seed as the message of the Kingdom.  He refers to the soils as people in at least four types of listener/receiver.  One of the questions we have to answer is, “What soil am I?”

The answer to the fore-mentioned question may depend on a person’s receptivity at the time the question is asked.  A person may be fertile soil for some truths; but totally indifferent to other of Jesus’ truths.  The goal would to become fertile soil in all instances.

A good way to become fertile soil in all areas is to concentrate on another fundamental.  In addition to listening to understand and seeking understanding is to be immersed in God’s Word.  The Bible holds all the secrets and truths of the Kingdom.

A devotional writer expressed it this way:

Some foods just naturally go together. Peanut butter and jelly. White beans and ham hocks. Chocolate and, well, anything. There’s something unique, however, about the pairing of cornbread and buttermilk. According to my mama, “The longer it sets, the better it gets.” The buttermilk must be poured generously so that it soaks into every morsel of cornbread.

The study of Scripture works much the same way. To delight in the law of the Lord is to partake of it generously and allow it to soak into our spirits. Our goal should not be to read as much as we can or as quickly as we can. Delight takes time as we soak up a verse, a phrase, or a word. We can spend day and night worrying about all the what-ifs of this life, and we can hang on to a grudge for days without end. What if, however, the thing we dwelled on was the goodness of God? What if it wasn’t worry but wonder that captivated us? To meditate on Scripture is to read it over and over, allowing it to penetrate our minds. It is to read it slowly and out loud, emphasizing a different word with each reading. It is to ponder. To delight in the law of the Lord is to know that the longer it sets, the better it gets.

Nelson, Thomas. Devotions from the Front Porch (p. 20). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

PSALM 1:2 ESV