Matthew 13:3
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

He seems at first a careless sower to let so much seed fall into unfruitful places.  Only a quarter of it bears any fruit at all, but God calls us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, to spread the seed of His Word everywhere and to all people.  But then once it’s there, He doesn’t force it into people’s hearts, but lays it out for them to decide what to do with it.  The conditions aren’t always ideal, but He wants it to have a chance to work in every heart.

Once that seed is there, something has to happen to it.  Either the enemy comes or trouble comes or the world comes and takes it away and hinders its growth.  Or maybe this time, at last, there is nothing left to hinder it and it goes deep into that nutrient-rich soil and finds something to grasp and takes root there.  Finally something fruitful and alive springs forth from a life and a heart once hard and full of stones.  Finally the thorns are cleared away, and with nothing left to choke it, that seed can blossom.

Growing any kind of plant takes a lot of patience.  If a farmer gave up every time he cast his seed out with no result, he would never grow anything.  And God is very patient, and so we must be patient and persistent sowers of the Word of God.  Not everybody accepts His truths right away.  Some have more obstacles to remove before it can really have a chance to grow.  But we can’t give up so easily, because God can move and work in any kind of heart, even one overgrown with so much evil and wickedness.

No matter the response we get, it is up to us to share God’s Word in the field He has placed us in.  We are to spread it around wherever we go so that others may hear and know there is a God out there who loves them and wants a relationship with them.  There is a God who created them and knows them and wants them to forsake that life of sin for the more abundant one He offers.  So let us keep sowing that seed and trust God to give the increase.