Ron Graham was called home on March 14, 2013. He began writing this commentary before his death and had asked me, Nathele Graham, to continue his service to our Lord by finishing what he began.

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“And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher” (Genesis 30:13).

This seems like a great name for a son. Asher means “happy” and there is no doubt that having a baby is a happy event. Sadly, he wasn’t named Asher because his mother was happy about him. She was happy for selfish reasons. She was happy about what this meant for her own self. “For the daughters will call me blessed.”

She had given birth to many sons and her sister Rachel was barren. Leah felt smug, prideful, and unkind toward her sister. Asher was the sixth son she bore to their shared husband, Jacob, and Leah was waving her success at child-bearing in Rachel’s face. Leah just isn’t a very happy person.

Are you happy? What is it that makes you truly happy? Most of us have certain things that we enjoy, or that we think will make us happy. Food on the table, money in the bank, a new car, a better job, more friends, and any number of other things that I haven’t listed here are thought to bring happiness. We can look into the lives of other people and see that they are happy. After all, they laugh and have so many more things than we do so they must be happy.

Are they happy, or maybe they’re just covering up for something that is missing. Money can’t buy happiness. In many lives it brings sorrow and pain. Those who have great wealth are usually not content and seem to want more. Money becomes their god. Other people believe alcohol, drugs, or sex will do the trick. They are never happy. That moment of “pleasure” always fades but the pain from the experience lingers.

Still others look to outside entertainment such as sports and vacations. Unfortunately all of these are temporary fixes for a much larger problem. These people seem to be searching for something that seems to be just out of reach. All they know is that they can’t quite get their hands on it.

If wealth and other worldly pleasures could make a person happy, King Solomon would have been the happiest man who ever lived. Yet, with all his wealth and treasures he wasn’t happy. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and had much to say about happiness. Solomon tells how he was given great wisdom, great wealth, many wives and concubines, and he tried everything under the sun – eating, drinking, and sex.

None of these worldly pleasures brought happiness. The problem was he had turned away from the one who gave him everything and began to allow the worship of idols and pagan gods. He was the richest man who ever lived. In spite of all the worldly pleasures he had he could only describe it all as vanity. None of those pleasures was satisfying or lasting.

King Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes which begins with the following statement:

“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

After a life of trying everything under the sun, this is his conclusion: frustration, futility, nonsense, even absurdity; all is vanity. If King Solomon could not find happiness in all of the things he possessed, what then can bring happiness to anyone?

At the end of his writing in Ecclesiastes he wrote:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Fear God. Could it be as simple as that?

Solomon basically ruined his life. He wasn’t happy. Although he had acquired much knowledge, experience, and wisdom, he took years to find what was missing from his life: the fear of God. When someone fears God they are going to respect Him and follow His commandments. To fear God means to reverence God, to love God.

If you follow God’s ways and do not live a worldly life your conscience will be clear and won’t have secret things you try to hide from others. Your friends won’t try to draw you away from God, because they will also fear God and honor and respect Him. You won’t have to worry if someone looks at the sites you’ve been browsing on the internet because you won’t have looked at pornography.

You won’t feel as if you have to hide the text messages on your phone because there will be nothing to hide. Your job will be easier because you know that ultimately you serve God.

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:22-24).

Fear God and live your life for Him.

It is human nature to want to be happy, but for some reason we seek after the wrong things. Only the things of God can bring happiness…true happiness. When we live our life looking for pleasure in worldly things and ignoring God there is no lasting happiness to be found. When the nation of Israel looked to God and honored Him, they prospered. Unfortunately they always went back to worldly ways and turned away from God.

One of these rebellious times caused them to go into captivity for 70 years. Jeremiah had prophesied about this captivity and told how long it would last. He also said what would trigger their release from that captivity. “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).

Rebellion to God traps you and holds you captive. Until a person lets go of the false pleasures of the world their unhappy captivity of seeking worldly pleasures will never cease. When you seek God, you will find Him and that will bring true happiness.

Keep in mind, though, that happiness is a fleeting feeling. This or that can make you happy for a short time, but are you content? When I was growing up I always looked forward to going to the fair and riding on the rides. It was lots of fun and I was very happy. Yep, I was happy right up until one of the rides got my stomach upset and I felt queasy for the rest of the day. So much for happiness.

I still tried to have fun there, but it was a struggle and not really fun. As I got older I found out that happiness never lasted long. When I finally met Jesus and began to serve Him with my entire life that’s when I found contentment. That contentment brought peace in every aspect of my life. What happens around me may affect my happiness, but it doesn’t take my contentment away.

True joy and happiness is found in what we do for Jesus. Whatever you do, however God uses you, take joy in it. Not in a prideful way, but take joy in the fact that you are serving Him. Only those things done for God will last. The apostle John lived a long life and served Jesus well. His joy was in knowing that those he had brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus walked in truth.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4).

All of the Apostles knew Jesus well and spent years learning from Him. After Christ ascended into heaven it was up to them to spread the gospel. It wasn’t easy for them because Christians were severely persecuted, but that didn’t stop them.

They may not have always been happy, but they were content knowing they served Jesus. They knew the truth and because of them we have the gospel. If we share that gospel of truth we will also share John’s joy and will find contentment.

The apostle Paul found himself in many diverse situations as he served Jesus. Sometimes he was cared for by those he witnessed to, but sometimes he was beaten and jailed. In all of this he found contentment.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

The word translated “content” comes from the Greek word “autarkēs.” It means:

1. Sufficient for one’s self, strong enough or possessing enough to need no aid or support. 2. Independent of external circumstances. 3. Contented with one’s lot, with one’s means, though the slenderest.” All of us need to be like Paul and be content with what we have. If we put all of our faith in Jesus, what else do we need?

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matthew 6:25).

Jesus goes on to say that God takes care of the fowls of the air and the lilies of the fields, so we need to be content knowing that He will take care of us. Paul learned this lesson well. He had grown up in a well-to-do family, but he learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself in and to rely on Jesus, and so can we.

How can we obtain happiness or contentment while living in a fallen world?

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:33-34).

If we place our faith and our trust in Jesus Christ, and believe in Him who sent Jesus to dwell among us, we will have what Solomon finally realized by the end of his life. God is the answer. Jesus Christ is God Almighty, our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Savior, He’s KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

If we fear Him, that is honor and respect Him, we will have contentment. Obeying Him will leave us with a clear conscience and we won’t worry about someone finding out our secret, hidden sins because we will have nothing to hide.

Come to the cross of Christ; lay your burdens down at His feet. Jesus Christ wants to take your troubles, your pains, your sorrows. He wants you to be content and He’s waiting for you. Talk to Him.

Turn your life over to Him. You won’t be sorry. No one who is truly born-again is ever sorry for the decision they made when they asked Jesus Christ to come into their lives. When you turn your entire life over to Him you will truly be happy. More than that, you will be content.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

“And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13:3-8)

There are four specific soils mentioned in our Lord’s parable of the sower, but only one actually leads to salvation. Take heed here folks, there is no in between ground. There are multitudes of professing Christians who comfortably call the wrong ground home. The problem is many, though claiming a relationship with Christ, may not have a relationship with Him at all. Ignoring Jesus’ parable of the sower can be detrimental to your eternal life.

“And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:” (Matthew 13:4)

The wayside ground proves to be horrible ground for planting or for expecting any growth. This first ground points to those who hear the gospel yet understand it not. They are blinded to the truth, thus they can’t understand it. “…then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.” Matthew 13:19b.

Void of understanding they are easy prey for the enemy (fowls). Satan steals what these folks heard (blinds them to the truth). So these folks, although having heard the truth, remain ignorantly lost. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

“But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” (Matthew 13:20-21)

These folks heard the word of God and received it with much joy. They started off enthusiastic about the gospel of truth, yet after some persecution raises its ugly head in their lives they fall away from the truth, meaning they never really had it. The apostle John tells us who they were.
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19).

What we see here is that among those who claim to be Christian, it’s obvious that there are many who have never gone through a conversion from death to life. Thus the words “falling away” come into play. They knew the truth and accepted what they heard as the truth, yet they allowed life’s troubles to move them away from that truth. They never became justified (saved).

“And He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22:

These folks heard the word but the world got in their way. They were deceitfully seduced by wealth, so much so that they bore no fruit for the Kingdom of God.

“Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:19-20)

It’s a sad commentary on our times; many believe they are doing just fine as Christians, but the truth never embedded itself in their hearts, there’s no commitment to Christ, and no salvation, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

These kinds of verses are warnings from the Creator Himself. Heed them or not – your choice.

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23.

This is the only soil classified as good ground in Jesus’ parable. The first soil speaks of those who are thoroughly blinded to the truth by Satan and his hoard; they now refuse to believe anything that has to do with the truth of the gospel.

The next two soils are packed with professing Christians who, when the time comes, are going to be screaming the words “Lord, Lord.” Remember it’s the soil that is bad not the seed.

Jesus explains in various parables that not everyone who thinks they’re Christians actually are. Just claiming to be a Christian doesn’t necessarily make it so. I spent most of my younger years believing I was a Christian, but one day a born-again believer in Christ explained what it took to be a Christian and I realized I had been wrong for years; I had swallowed the lie.

There must be a conversion from a life of sin to a new creature who repents and turns from sin. Then they begin to walk in newness of life.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In many cases, just watching the lifestyle of someone who professes a faith in Jesus Christ can be quite telling. Jesus gave us the parable of the soil to teach us the difference between “born again” and “in name only” Christians.

The last ground Jesus mentioned is the good ground which produces much fruit through the understanding and acceptance of His Word as the truth. Every true believer produces some fruit but we all don’t produce at the same level. Some are more active in the spreading of the gospel than others. Some make it their life’s work, spreading the gospel to all parts of the globe. Still others find plenty of work right in their own communities. Nonetheless, all born again followers of Jesus Christ will eventually, at some point in their Christian walk, bear fruit, you can count on it.

The question is if you are a professing Christian today, of which soil are you? In writing this commentary I’m not attempting to judge whether a person is saved (justified) or not. The purpose is to help those who will read this commentary to do some soul searching before it’s too late. The fourth soil is the only good ground so the idea here is to do some self-evaluation to be absolutely certain where you will spend eternity.

[Jesus said ,] “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.” Matthew 7:26. Only the foolish ignore His warnings.

This world places incredible pressures on all humans so they will weaken and give into temptation. The only way to avoid sinking into the abyss is to be sure who we’ve placed our faith and trust in. Jesus Christ is the One and only Savior and Lord and our only hope for everlasting life. Satan is the god of this world and if you aren’t born again you’re Satan’s property. It is his intent to persuade you through evil means to reject and even ignore Jesus Christ and His Word.

We are taught in the Scriptures that most will comply with their father the devil’s demands. But it doesn’t have to be you. Three of the soils in Jesus’ parable above are owned by Satan, and he convinces many that they are on good solid ground – that everything will be fine. Yet they remain lost – just where Satan wants them.

Don’t fall for his traps. Don’t allow anyone to convince you that there are many ways to the Father, many good grounds. Or that good people will not go to Hell. Another trap is that you don’t have to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

These are all lies that trap and bind, don’t believe them. There are many more being promoted as truth today, even in many Christian churches. Born-again believers in Christ are firmly planted on soil four, the only ground where salvation is found.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham