OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 22/12/2013 - BAD SOIL BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BAD SOIL

MEMORY VERSE

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up

 Matthew 13:4

READ

Matthew 13:3-8

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

MESSAGE

For your request to be granted, you have to apply relevant keys. Many people desire financial breakthrough but are not prepared to apply the right key; unsurprisingly the door just won't open. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says you must sow bountifully and if you don't sow, do not expect a harvest. Do you know some people are expecting a harvest when they have not sowed? For such people, their harvest will come as a big bang that will attract people but it will have nothing in it. What a shame that will be! But that will not be your portion.

However, it is not enough to sow; you must adhere to all the conditions necessary for a good harvest. For instance, in the parable of the sower documented in Matthew 13:3-8, seeds must be sown on good soil. Any seed sown on bad soil has automatically been lost and the harvest lost. What is a bad soil? A bad soil is a soil that God does not want you to sow into at that material time, no matter how logical or pressing the need is. If God says you should not give to a particular individual and you disobey thinking you know more than God, or you know how much the fellow is in need, you have acted in disobedience and lost both seed and harvest. If care is not taken, you may even get punished.

A bad soil is also one that glorifies Satan openly or secretly while claiming to be a godly organisation. Any church, ministry or 'servant of God' that uses a contrary spirit or still offers sacrifices, dialogues with spirits of the dead or indulges in any occultic activity is a bad soil. Sowing there is sowing directly into Satan's kingdom. A bad soil is equally sowing into a cause that will increase the flamboyance, empty pride and sinful life-style of its recipient. If a particular man of God is calling for donations over which he may not account for, or which will enable him sustain a riotous life-style ride the biggest cars, live in the most expensive mansions, or live in sin, such seeds are lost. Ask to be led of God before you sow in causes that are not clear to you, lest you waste your seed and lose your harvest.

ACTION POINT

Drug addicts, street urchins and anyone suffering from addiction should not be given money but food items, care, and the gospel of Jesus.