I wrote about the Parable of the Sower a couple of weeks ago: “Keep sowing seed” was my application since you don’t know where the good soil is. Or, as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Here’s another take on the Parable of the Sower from Sahil Bloom, April 1, 2025. He writes :

This is one of my favorite parables:

A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

He who has ears, let him hear.

– Matthew 13:3-9

This passage offers a powerful reflection on one truth:

Your environment creates your reality.

The same seeds can manifest very different results:

• They fall on the path and are quickly eaten
• They fall on rocky ground and cannot establish a foundation
• They fall on thorny ground and fail to breathe
• They fall on good soil and thrive

Even the best seeds are no match for the worst environment. You can only flourish if you’re planted in the right ground.

Plant yourself in the fertile soil necessary to grow:

• Surround yourself with positive, kind, authentic people
• Invest in mentors who shine a light on your path
• Embrace a growth mindset in all areas
• Set boundaries that protect your energy and peace
• Create space for stillness and reflection
• Remove “weeds” that threaten to harm your soil

Your environment creates your reality. Choose wisely.

–End of Sahil Bloom’s Essay–

That’s really good. And maybe there’s another application:

BE the right environment for others.

Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. (1 Samuel 10.26, ESV)

Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.” And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” (1 Samuel 14.6, 7, ESV)

From the beginning, God declared Job to be:

…a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. (Job 1.8, NKJV)

What does that look like? Job gives us a little picture in Job 29:

When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me; Because…

• I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
• The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And
• I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
• I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
• My justice was like a robe and a turban.
• I was eyes to the blind, And
• I was feet to the lame.
• I was a father to the poor, And
• I searched out the case that I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth. (Job 29.11 – 17, NKJV, bulleted for clarity)

What does righteousness look like?

• Eyes to the blind
• Feet to the lame
• Father to the poor
• Searching out injustice and defeating the wicked, saving the victim

I started reading The Men We Need by Brant Hansen, and its message is that men need to “protect the garden.” Look out for the marginalized.

In the Bible, God says he raises the poor from the dust. He doesn’t forget them. He defends the afflicted. He saves the children of the needy. He defends the weak. He favors the humble...If I’m going to be more like him, guess what I’m going to do? I’m going to raise the poor from the dust. I won’t forget them. I will defend the afflicted. I will save the children of the needy. I will defend the weak. I will favor the humble. – Page 31.

Sounds a lot like what Job was doing.

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (Genesis 2.15, NKJV)

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25.37 – 40, NKJV)

Finally, a good word from the book of Job: he tells us where to find wisdom. He begins by talking about mining ore:

Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, And copper is smelted from ore… (Job 28.1, 2, NKJV)

But can we mine wisdom that way?

But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, “It is not in me;” And the sea says, “It is not with me.” It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price. (Job 28.12 – 15, NKJV)

So where is it?

From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living, And concealed from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, “We have heard a report about it with our ears.” God understands its way, And He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth, And sees under the whole heavens, To establish a weight for the wind, And apportion the waters by measure. When He made a law for the rain, And a path for the thunderbolt, Then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.” (Job 28.20 – 28, NKJV, emphasis mine)

It’s a truth taught often in scripture: “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.”

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. (Psalm 111.10, NKVJ)

“A good understanding have all those who DO His commandments.” Sounds like, “To depart from evil is understanding.”

There’s more:

Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.” (Proverbs 1.10 – 14, NKJV)

I wrote back in February about the conversion of Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia, formerly an agnostic. And then a month later about the transformation through the gospel of a village in Viet Nam. God is at work in all kinds of ways…including The Chosen, a series I’ve written about and highly endorsed.

In Meet the Non-Christian Fans of The Chosen, Christopher Kuo tells stories of people all over the world, including atheists and Muslims, who are coming to faith through watching The Chosen. I recommend the article in its entirety. What’s remarkable is this story not in the article.

Converts include the agnostic husband of Christianity Today editorial director of news Kate Shellnutt who wrote:

I wasn’t sure what to think when my husband, a lifelong agnostic who wasn’t raised in church, started bingeing The Chosen last summer.

My husband had been scrolling through apologetics videos on YouTube when ads directed him to the series. He watched it without me. It was unexpected viewing, sure, but I told myself not to get my hopes up. Plenty of people watch the show. Plenty of people admire the person and stories of Jesus without placing faith in him.

Turns out, I had reason to hope. During the Sermon on the Mount scene, my husband later told me, he felt something shift inside him. He felt it again when he immediately read the Gospel of Matthew—then the rest of the New Testament. He came to faith about six weeks later.

God and the Gospel are clearly on the move!

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. (Philippians 1.12, NIV)

…the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world… (Colossians 1.5, 6, NIV)

As we move through Lent, toward the cross and the resurrection, we observe yet another attempt on Jesus’ life. If it’s not the religious leaders as we saw last Sunday, it’s Satan himself:

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. (Mark 4.35 – 5.2, ESV)

The text doesn’t mention Satan explicitly, but it’s reasonable to attribute the storm to him, apparently to prevent Jesus from confronting the demons in Mark 5.

And, of course, it’s a teaching opportunity for the fledging disciples: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” My friend and Navigator mentor Skip Gray used to say, “Jesus said, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ He didn’t say, ‘Let us go to the middle of the lake and drown.'”

This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. (Ephesians 6.12, MSG)

Speaking of putting the word into practice, my friend Aaron Dorman, pastor of The Christian Church of Estes Park, is teaching his folks to do precisely that. He told me during a recent visit that they are logging community service hours: 6,000 hours two years ago, 7,500 hours last year, and he’s shooting for over 10,000. (This is a church of fewer than 200 members.)

Our conversation reminded me of what I read recently:

And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” (Mark 4.30 – 32, ESV)

“…the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” The Kingdom grows, and is beneficial. The Kingdom is not just a conclave for the faithful; it should spread and benefit society. I recommended to him (and to you) Church of Irresistible Influence by Robert Lewis. I’ve heard Robert say:

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine…that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” He said, “See your good works,” NOT “Hear your good words!”

PS You can access an AI-generated summary of the book here.

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. (Ezekiel 47.12, NIV)

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22.2, NIV)

To continue yesterday’s theme that growth and maturity are expected, look at what Jesus said just before the parable of the growing seed:

Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Mark 4.23 – 25, ESV)

Pay attention to what you hear. It’s not enough for us to go to church and listen to sermons. We actually have to pay attention and put what we hear into practice.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1.22 – 25, NIV)

“Blessed in what they do,” not “Blessed in what they hear.”

Job 25 is short and full of nonsense from Bildad:

“Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high heaven. Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not arise? How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure? Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes; how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!” (Job 25.2 – 6, NKJV)

“How can he who is born of woman be pure?…man, who is a maggot…” In other words, “Job, you can’t be pure. No one is pure.” HOWEVER, remember what God himself said about Job:

And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1.8, NKJV)

Evangelicals get this wrong sometimes, also. We overemphasize Romans 3.10, “There is none righteous…”, for example, while forgetting that God wants us to live righteously. “Be perfect,” Jesus said.

Growth occurs. That’s the whole point of this parable:

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. (Mark 4.26 – 28, ESV)

Growth takes time, but growth occurs over time. It’s a cop-out to say, “Well, I can’t be perfect. That’s why Jesus died for my sins.” I was watching my friend Jim teach an adult Sunday School class once, and when he challenged them to do something (I don’t remember what), someone said, “Oh, Jim. You know we can’t do this stuff! Leave us alone.” Wrong. Jim was only following the Apostle Paul’s example:

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (Colossians 1.28, ESV)

Everyone mature.

Yesterday we looked at Pleading Our Case from Job 23. There’s another gem in Job 23, one I would not have associated with Job:

But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food. (Job 23.10 – 12, NKJV)

“I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Compare Matthew 4.4:

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (NIV)

Also Jeremiah 15.16:

Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15.16, NKJV)

That’s the attitude we should all have. I don’t miss meals! I ought not to miss time with God in the Word either.

My friend and Navigator colleague Bill Mowry has just posted a wonderful essay on God’s wonderful Word: WOW! Happens As We Hold the Bible. It’s worth the read in its entirety. Here’s a sample. After opening with the awe people feel at a total eclipse, he writes:

Wonder is the WOW factor. When we look up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling, savor a meal at a five-star restaurant, or sit enraptured at a Mozart symphony, our mouths form a wordless WOW. We stand in wonder at that which is beautiful and magnificent…

He continues:

The Bible brings God’s wonder, a sense of awe, into our lives. How is the Bible a wonder-full  and awe-full book? Here are some examples:

• Wonder is when, after years of life in the Bible, you still find new things when you read, hear, study, memorize or meditate on it. The wonder of discovery keeps drawing you back.
• Wonder is when you reflect on how you have changed over the years and how the Bible has been the impetus for change.
• Wonder is when you see new believers “hold” the Bible and change long-held values and behaviors as they read it. What a miracle!

The things that bring wonder to our lives also bring delight. – Bill Mowry, March 27, 2025

When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” (Deuteronomy 32.45 – 47, NIV)

My friend and Navigator colleague Henry Clay is one of the best pray-ers I know. I remember when he was called on at a conference to lead us in prayer for one of our leaders who had cancer. Henry paced back and forth across the front of the room saying something like:

Lord, we ask that you would heal our brother. We don’t know what you want, but this is what we want: Sam is a leader, and he’s making a great contribution to advancing the Kingdom. He has many years of service left in him. Please heal him. – Henry Clay, praying for Sam Hershey

That was more than 10 years ago, and Sam is doing fine.

I asked Henry in private what his prayer secret was. He quoted Job:

Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat! I would present my case before Him, And fill my mouth with arguments. (Job 23.3, 4, NKJV)

My first response was, “We don’t often get good instruction from the book of Job!” Henry said, “Maybe, but every time in the Bible that someone makes a case, argues with God, God seems to appreciate it.” Abraham bargained with God in Genesis 18. Moses interceded for the Israelites in Numbers 14, making a case based on God’s reputation among the nations.

Then I read a familiar text in a new way:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4.6, NIV)

“Present your requests to God.” I read that as making a case. And I’ve been known to write long letters making a case for some action. So I can do this!

This is not to say that every time we make a case to God or some other authority, we get what we want. I was lobbying for a particular decision in the Air Force once, and after about the third letter, the colonel said, “Bob. NO. Give it a rest.” I tried it during my prostate siege. “Lord, I have people I’ve had to cancel, people who want to meet with me. Here are their names. Shouldn’t I get well faster so I can do what you’ve called me to do?”

Instead, it dragged on, and I got this text from a friend:

I really appreciated how you consistently related your prostate issue to the Psalms. It was all faith all the way and never a lack of confidence. It really inspired me as a model for things I’m anxious about. I often think of a phrase I heard in church “Let go and let God” and it was useful for me to see you do this over months.

So maybe that’s one reason for the delay.

That said, I’m trying to remind myself to “make my case,” “present my requests.”

But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. (Job 13.3, NKJV)