It’s Spring! Time to plant a garden. I’m no gardener but I do know one thing. If I were to toss tomato seeds out my back door into my backyard, odds are they won’t grow. Why? It is packed down hard by foot traffic. It gets very little sun. The ground is not ready to promote the growth of tender plants. On the other hand, if I plant those seeds in well-tilled ground with good drainage located in a sunny spot, I’ll most likely have beautiful tomato plants with lots of tomatoes to enjoy before too long.

Jesus uses plants and soil in one of His parables. Matthew 13:1-23. The seeds that produced the healthiest plants fell on good ground. Jesus goes on to explain the parable. The seeds that fell on good ground are like the person who hears the word and understands it.

That’s the one I want to be. That’s the one I want my children to be. That’s the one I want my husband to be. That’s the one I want all around me to be.

What sets the good ground apart from the rest? What is the difference between someone who hears the word and understands it and those who don’t? It’s the same as the difference in the ground just outside my back door and the ground in a well-tilled, properly drained spot of ground. Someone took the time to prepare the ground.

We are told that Ezra prepared his heart to seek God. Ezra 7:9-10 tells us that God was with him. Why? Because “Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Just like the ground had been prepared for the seed, Ezra’s heart had been prepared to seek God.

How can we be like Ezra? How can we prepare our hearts to seek God? We don’t know much about Ezra’s early years. We do know that he was a scribe. He would have been one that copied scripture. That would require much time spent with God’s word. While there may have been other factors in Ezra’s life that helped prepare his heart, being a scribe would definitely be a big part of this preparation.

By looking at other people who received God’s word, we can see other things that we can do to prepare our hearts to seek the Lord.

The first person who comes to mind when I think about someone who had a prepared heart to seek God is Timothy. We are told that Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother about God from his youth. Apparently, he had no trouble understanding the word when it was taught to him. He readily accepted the truth when he heard it, he obeyed it and he taught it to others — just like Ezra.

Another person who comes to mind is Cornelius. We do not know who had an influence on him before God brought Peter into his life. We do know that he was a Gentile. We are also told that he believed in God and that he was generous with his things and that he prayed to God. His heart was prepared to seek God. When Peter taught him the word, he readily obeyed all he was commanded.

From these two examples we see that someone who has a prepared heart believes in God, is familiar with His teachings, strives to have a relationship with God and is caring for those around him. These are things I can do to prepare my heart to seek God. I can teach my children as Timothy’s mother and grandmother taught him. I can encourage my friends and family to study the Bible and learn as much as they can about God.

What happens if my heart is not prepared to seek God? 2 Chronicles 12:14 tells us that Rehoboam “did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.” Rehoboam? He was the son of the wisest man on earth! How could he have failed to prepare his heart to seek the Lord?

We can assume a few things that could have hindered him in his childhood: excessive wealth, father not available, idols pervasive in family life, etc. His record of dealing unwisely with the people was seen early in his reign. He chose the counsel of the young men instead of his elders (2 Chronicles 10:13). Early on it was made obvious that Rehoboam would not make wise decisions. His heart was not prepared to seek God. He chose to follow those with little experience and wisdom instead of those who had more experience and he did not seek the counsel of God.

As we look back at the parable of the sower, we see what happens to people who have not prepared their hearts to seek God. Verse 18 tells us that “the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart”. Verse 21 tells us that “he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” Verse 22 tells us that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” What a tragic end to what could have been a beautiful relationship with God. All because one did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

According to this parable, we should not be surprised when someone refuses to study God’s word with us. We should not be surprised when a new Christian falls away when faced with the taunts and rejection being a Christian can cause. We should not be surprised when a seemingly strong Christian slowly gets drawn back into the world because of materialism. We should not be surprised but we should be prepared to take action to help prevent these tragedies.

We need to make sure we have prepared our hearts. We also need to do what we can to help others prepare their hearts. We need to be an encouragement to those who seek God. We need to teach others by our example. We need to live the kind of life that draws others to Christ. We need to be patient and loving with those who are searching.