It's Where You Fall

Matthew 13:8

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Jesus’ parable about the sower reveals much about who we are as believers. You will notice that the seed fell on different types of ground. Some seed fell by the way side, other seed fell on stony places, some seed fell in the thorns, but some seed fell on good ground. All the seed came from the same bag, but it was where the seed fell that determined what became of that seed. The seed that fell on the good ground still had to die, take root, sprout, and grow before it bore fruit, but the fall was not the last act of that seed.

I want you to notice that all the seed fell. It is not a matter of how good we are because there is none good. Romans 3:10 confirms this truth when it says, There is none righteous, no, not one: Jesus said in Mark 10:18, there is none good but one, that is, God. When you think you are good, you need to go back and realize that God makes it very clear that there is none good but God. This means that we all have fallen at some point. It is what we do when we fall that determines what will become of us. Let me share a few thoughts about the importance of where you fall.

First, you are going to fall. Before you become haughty about how great a Christian you are, you need to stop and realize that you are no better than anyone else because you are a sinner. The Scriptures teach that pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. You have to realize that it is not if you fall, because you will, but it is the action you take when you fall that determines what will become of you.

Second, your heart does matter because it determines how you will respond when you fall. If your heart is wrapped up in the world, sin will devour your testimony. If you don't get your heart rooted in God’s Word, you will spiritually die and never do anything for God again when you fall. If your associations are wrong, they will take you further down than where you fell. However, if your heart is tender toward God, the fall won't be the last chapter of your life.

I am reminded of King David, who fell in sin. David's fall was great, but his fall was not the last chapter of his life. Here is a man who had risen to the peak of notoriety and had experienced closeness to God. But one night of sin destroyed much good that he had labored for in his entire life. However, because his heart was tender, and because his heart was good ground, he got back up and did not allow sin to be the last chapter of his life.

I am reminded of King Saul, who also fell into sin. The difference is that King Saul had a heart that was wrapped up in himself rather than in God. When Saul fell, he never recovered from his fall because his heart was not tender toward God. Sadly, sin became the last chapter of Saul’s life because his heart was not tender toward God.

My friend, the reason you need to keep a tender heart toward God is because one day you will fall, and your heart will determine the next action that you take when that fall occurs. David's next action was Psalm 51, which is one of the greatest chapters about restoration. The just man fell seven times, but he got up again because his heart was tender toward God. Keep your heart tender toward God, and when that fall comes, no matter what the fall is, that fall will not be the last chapter of your life.