[Jesus speaking]
Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭13‬
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

If we think of the ground as the condition of the heart, we see that those who have hard, trampled-on ground for their hearts, will not receive the word of truth. Sadly, I have seen this happen a few times in my life. The results are very sad. Significant heart damage happens when we reject God’s truth.

This good seed, this guidance of God which leads us to repent of our sins and receive the gift of salvation offered by Jesus, gives us life. Just like the seed which, when planted in fertile soil, with sun and water, produces a multiplied crop.

We find out from the passage in Hebrews that a hard heart can also develop after someone follows Jesus. Sin is deceitful — it lies to us about the pleasures and benefits of sinning. So to combat this, one suggested strategy is to encourage each other daily. This is one of the reasons I write these devotionals, is to encourage myself and you every day. Other ways we can do this: listening to worship music, sharing verses, listening and praying with each other about life challenges, etc.

In summary, the first soil condition is that of a hardened heart by the deceitfulness (evil trickery) of sin. This heart cannot even hear God’s truth as it is spoken. It is rejected.

Who in your family or friend sphere has a hard heart? Pray for them today to be humbled and able to see and hear the truth.

Lord, thank you for this challenging explanation of the first soil type in the parable of the sower. Keep my heart from becoming hard by staying connected to you through prayer, reading your word, fellowshipping with your people, and serving.