March 13 - Luke 8: Extravagant Sower

I've read and heard the parable of the four soils so many times that I realize I rarely read it closely anymore. I kind of skim it because I remember the story and Jesus' explanation. But today, as I'm trying to soak in the Word while caring for a sick child, the Spirit used this parable and Eugene Peterson to remind me of an important truth about my God.

"This sower went out to sow his seed, and he threw it everywhere. He didn't care where the seed went...A farmer has to have a lot of seed to be that extravagant. 

"We flash back to Genesis where God created an entire universe and put one man in it. Sun, stars, moon, seas, vegetation, fish, birds, mammals - a cosmic system created so that one man may live. And that is extravagant, too. 

"The Genesis story reminds us that the parable, too, is about God. God is the Sower. He sows his seed, which is his Word. And the characteristic of his sowing is his extravagant, if not wasteful, generosity. Seed everywhere. God's Word spoken incessantly. The words, acts, intentions, creative happenings of God fall all over the place. 

"Is that the way the world looks to you? Well, whether it does or not, says Luke's parable, that's the way it is." Eugene Peterson, Conversations, pg. 1596

Why do I so easily forget that my God is extravagantly generous??  I overlook the large and small ways He's working in my life and in the lives of others. In my daily circumstances, I quickly focus on what's right in front of me, and I miss the big picture, God's picture.

I'm blind to what God is doing across the nations to make His Name famous among all nations and tribes, all races and languages. His Name and His Word are reaching people and places I can't even fathom. Yet in the face of opposition from those who aren't interested in God or Jesus, I can easily forget that the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)

But Luke reminds me today that my God is sowing His Word extravagantly, not only in my life but all over the world. My prayer is that I will be like the seed in the good earth:

But the seed in the good earth - these are the good hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest. (8:15)

Lord, I praise You for Your extravagant generosity to me and others. I praise You that Your Word is truth, and You've given it to us so that we may know You. Thank You for giving me the desire to read and study Your Word, and thank You for always speaking to me through Your Word. May I never overlook what You have to teach me, but may I seize Your Word, holding on no matter what life brings.