Picking Rocks – A Devotional

by Joyann Dwire

When you grow up on a farm you face a lot of repetitive chores. The cows have to be milked every morning and evening. The animals need to be fed and fresh water provided. The stalls need to be mucked out. Depending on the time of year, crops must be either sown or harvested. Bale the hay. Mow the lawn. Plow the garden. Plant the seeds. Pull the weeds. It’s a never-ending list. 

There is one repetitive chore that makes no sense at all. It seems to be a universally futile chore because whenever I have occasion to talk to anyone who grew up on a farm, the subject invariably comes up. 

Picking rocks.

It’s exactly what it sounds like. We followed the farm tractor and cart up and down the field picking up rocks. Anything larger than your hand had to be harvested. Often there were rocks the size of a dinner plate. Sometimes the rocks were the size of a hub cap. Every so often they were large enough to require two people to pick them up.

When the cart was full we drove down to the fence row and unloaded the rocks on to an existing rockpile. Rockpiles created from picking rocks off this same field the year before. And the year before that. And the year before that. 

Every year we have the same conversations. Where did all these rocks come from? Didn’t we do this last year? They must have had babies. And indeed, to me it was a great mystery why this seemed to be a never-ending job. 

Sadly, it was a job that had to be done in order to have a good harvest of oats or corn.

Jesus understood farming and spoke of it in the parable of the sower. 

4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. –Matthew 13:4-8 NIV

The farmer’s goal is the good soil. That’s why we picked up rocks – so we could harrow and work the soil and then drive the corn planter safely over a smooth field. The seeds go into the good soil, and if the rain cooperates, a good crop is harvested.

Of course the point of Jesus’ parable is that the human heart is like the soil. 

19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”  –Matthew 13:19-23 NIV

Jesus explains that the seed that fell on rocky ground might spring up, but as soon as the going gets rough the roots are too shallow, and the plants are unable to survive either drought or storm. 

What is it that creates shallow roots in our hearts? Neglect. Apathy. Misdirected priorities. Rocky things that prevent us from sinking our roots deep in the Word and in prayer and worship. Can we throw those rocks out so we can have a healthy relationship with the Lord? Yes, we can. But only with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

In order to grow you must immerse yourself in the Word of God. Allow Him to speak to your heart and be willing to obey. The Gospel of John is a great place to start.

Find a Bible-believing church to become a part of. As my pastor likes to say, being a Christian is not an individual sport. We need to have the fellowship and accountability and support that only a church family can provide.

Realize that you’re not involved in a religion. There’s no growth or harvest  there. You are in the midst of a relationship with your Savior, Jesus Christ. As God speaks to you through His Word, He calls you to come to him with your requests, your praise, your thanks and your worship. He wants to be Lord of your life.

I don’t have to pick rocks off a field any more. But I do need to be aware of any rocks that might spring up in my heart so I can pick them up and surrender them to the Lord.