The parable of the sower (2)

“Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.” Luke 8:12
The first kind of soil that the seed falls on in the parable of the sower, Jesus tells us, represents those who hear, but before the seed has a chance to take root in their life, the devil comes and steals it away (symbolised in the parable by birds coming and eating the seed). This soil is like a pathway: hard and compact. Nothing has grown here for many years, it has been walked all over and become hard. There are people just like this. They have hardened their heart against God, against God’s people, and against God’s Word. The devil has them right where he wants them. Whenever the Word of God comes into their life, they instantly dismiss it as ‘religious mumbo-jumbo’, and reject it. The birds eat it up; the Word has no chance to germinate and grow. They do not remember the words that are spoken, because they reject it so quickly.
We don’t know what kind of soil represents each person we are dealing with. It might sound like someone whose heart is like the path is a lost cause. But God can do miracles in a person’s life. For the person whose heart is hard, they must first be broken in order to be softened so they can receive the Word of God. If you know someone like this, don’t give up. Keep praying for them, that God would soften their heart so that His Word might take root in their lives, and produce fruit.