As summer peaks, gardeners and farmers are seeing the seeds they planted earlier grow and mature. Jesus often uses seeds to illustrate His parables. Explaining the parable of

the sower, Jesus actually tells His hearers they must get the meaning of this parable, or they won’t understand any of the others (see Mark 4:13). The familiar parable pictures the seed of God’s Word taking root in a believing heart. Paul writes in Romans 10:8, “The word is near you ... in your heart” and in verse 10, “For with the heart one believes and is justified.” Today’s verse urges, “receive with meekness the implanted word.” “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). In this summer season, keep an open heart, as fertile soil, to receive God’s precious Word, “which is able to save your souls.”