For the past three weeks, my refrigerator has not been cooling properly. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I placed food inside, trusting it would stay fresh, only to find it spoiled quicker than usual. What was meant to preserve and nourish had become a place of waste. The fridge sounded and looked like it was doing its job from the outside, but inside, it was no longer the right environment for keeping things good. I had a new fridge delivered yesterday. As I thought about this, God reminded me that our hearts can be the same way. We can look fine on the outside, but if the soil of our hearts is not right, what goes in may not remain fresh. God’s Word, His truth, and even His blessings can sit in a heart that is too distracted, too hardened, or too weary to let them grow. Instead of producing life, they become crowded out and wasted.

Jesus said, “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:23, NIV).

The condition of the soil matters. It determines whether the Word will take root or fade away.

Scripture urges us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV). Just like I need to be intentional about keeping my refrigerator working properly so that what I consume doesn’t make me ill, I must also be intentional about tending the soil of my heart. What am I letting in? What am I feeding on—fear or faith, bitterness or forgiveness, noise or God’s still small voice? What is manifesting from it? When the soil is healthy, the fruit becomes undeniable. Paul reminds us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV). These fruits don’t grow because of striving; they grow because the heart is resting in the right environment. They are the result of an environment that is softened by prayer, nourished by Scripture, and watered by the Spirit.

So today, I invite you to pause and reflect: What is the soil of your heart like? Is it ready to receive the living Word of God? Or does it need some tending, some clearing away of clutter, some refreshing by His Spirit? Ask the Lord to prepare your heart so that His Word can grow deep roots. Invite Him to cultivate your soil, so that what comes out of your life is not spoiled or wasted, but fresh, nourishing, and filled with the fruit of His Spirit. May we each become good soil; ready to receive, ready to grow, and ready to bear fruit that blesses the world around us.

Prayer:
Lord, soften the soil of my heart. Remove what doesn’t belong and make me ready to receive Your Word with joy. Water me with Your Spirit, so that I may grow in love, peace, and faithfulness. Let my life bear fruit that reflects Your goodness and draws others to You. Amen.