He Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear

He Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear. The springtime ritual is happening again in the farmers’ fields that ring our fair city. The tractors are out, turning over the loamy soil that makes the Coastal Plains geologically distinct from Mountain, Piedmont, and Sandhill regions. What might this growing season produce? The living parable begins.

"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" (Matt. 13:3-9). 

“THE DEEPS” (ed., Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision, Banner of Truth [1975], pp. 134-35)

Lord Jesus,

Give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach;

Help me chastely to flee it, and jealousy to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust, that I may lost myself to find myself in thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly Husbandman, that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wind, until thou alone art seen in me, thy beauty golden like summer harvest, thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no Master but thee, no law but thy will, no delight but thyself, no wealth but that thou givest, no good but that thou blesses, no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me, I have nothing but that I receive from thee, I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.