My grandfather was a careful gardener. He prepared the soil months in advance of planting season. He meticulously laid out the straight rows, scooped out the dirt, and placed every seed exactly where he wanted. When he finished, the dirt was mounded around the site of each buried seed to hold the correct amount of water and nourish the seedling as it grew.
Because I watched my grandfather work with seed and soil for so many years, I’ve always been a little perplexed by the way the sower in Jesus’ parable throws the seed all over the place—beside the road, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil. Doesn’t it seem like a waste? What kind of gardener does that?
A generous one. A loving, faithful, wise one.
Our Sower casts the seed everywhere, providing every opportunity for it to take root and grow, even in the hard-to-reach locations. The lost causes. The unexpected places. Our Lord offers “whoever” a chance to hear and receive His Word (John 3:16; 5:24). He wants us to understand it and bear fruit. No one is beyond His reach.
As believers, we have the opportunity to sow seeds of truth about creation. 
As believers, we have the opportunity to sow seeds of truth about creation. Jesus said not everyone will receive His Word, but we share it anyway in the hope it will land on receptive hearts. We know that sometimes we’re the ones who plant seeds while another person will harvest the fruit later.
In this issue of Acts & Facts, Dr. Henry Morris III discusses the parable of the sower and the seed. In his feature article, “Living Word, Listening Ears,” we see how people respond differently to the Word of God and how we are responsible to share His message regardless of how others respond. Dr. Morris says, “We must not become discouraged by the rejection of the many.” Even though it’s easy to get discouraged when others don’t get excited about the things of God, we have the awesome responsibility and privilege to share the creation message.
Our scientists sow the seeds of truth as they share how scientific findings confirm the Bible. Dr. Tim Clarey shows us how limestone deposits match the biblical Flood account. Dr. Jake Hebert reminds us of “God’s great care and attention for this planet” as he discusses the problems with the Big Bang model (“Does the Cosmic Microwave Background Confirm the Big Bang?”). Dr. Jeffrey Tomkins and Dr. Clarey team up to point out how the fossil record “helps us determine the extent of the global Flood in the geological record” (“Darwin’s Abominable Mystery and the Genesis Flood”). Dr. Randy Guliuzza highlights the incredible design and “unequaled workmanship of the Lord Jesus Christ” in living creatures (“Adaptive Changes Are Purposeful, Not Random”).
Be generous with His truth. And pray that it lands in the good soil of receptive hearts.
When the seed of the living Word takes root and grows in the hearts of those who hear and receive it, God allows it to bear fruit. As you share the truth about creation with others, don’t get discouraged. Remember the sower in the parable and cast the seed of God’s Word wherever you can. Be generous with His truth. And pray that it lands in the good soil of receptive hearts.
* Jayme Durant is Director of Communications at the Institute for Creation Research.
