100x Crop Requires Rest
“Running my race with mighty momentum from radical rest.” That’s the motto for 2025. Have I been doing it perfectly? Absolutely not. But the call to REST is becoming greater day by day; the necessity of rest, no longer a negotiable.
Rest isn’t just about recovery. Or sleeping. Or slowing life down. It’s about a heart posture. And that matters because our heart is the birthplace, the home, the wineskin of JOY. So let’s do a deep dive into REST / the HEART / & JOY.
I’ve read the “Parable of the Sower” many times—and usually it’s the 3rd situation that resonates most. But when I read it again recently, over and over and over, the Holy Spirit brought some fresh revelation around the entire story. It had to do with the season of life in which I find myself. And it was a wake up call for REST. Something I’ve wrestled with for a lifetime. But I now realize I can’t go any further without it. Sure, I want to live authentically and with integrity, practicing what I preach. But it goes way beyond that. And I believe this is a word for all of us to hear and to heed.
The biggest takeaway this time: a 100x crop requires rest. Crops come from seeds. Seeds need to be planted in good soil. “The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain in, and by perseverance produce a crop." (Luke 8: 15) So, a good heart has good soil. But to have a “good” heart, the soil must be tended and the seed must be protected. I believe this is why we’re told to “guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov. 4:23)
Let’s go back to the “3rd situation,” where the seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants: choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures. Yikes. To me, this reads DISTRACTION. I let all these other things get in the way from the one thing that is needed and that can never be taken: sitting at the feet of Jesus. It’s there where He tends the garden of my heart. Where the rocky parts are broken up through the moisture of tears—and where the tears sown actually result in a harvest of joy. (Ps. 126) Where the Lord realigns my mind into right thinking and belief. (Because if I’m not trusting Him, that’s when the enemy comes and steals Words/Truth He’s spoken over my life. I forget who He is and who He says I am. The soil quickly becomes bad.)
Growing deep roots of rest requires intentionality. It requires sacrifice and countercultural living. No one else will do it for you. But trust me, it is worth it. When our hearts are at rest, joy flows. When our hearts are healthy, the harvest grows.
So if you’re feeling an attack on your rest, it’s likely an attack on your joy, as well. Take a moment to read through this parable, asking the Holy Spirit to give you ears to hear it, eyes to see it, and a mind to understand it afresh. Let the ultimate “Gardener” access the depths of your heart to do what only He can do. Life began in a garden. That’s where we’re meant to dwell with Him, naked and unashamed. He is kind, full of mercy and grace. He’s ready to de-weed the distractions, water the dry ground, and nourish the desolate places.
He is all about multiplication, expansion, and abundance. Let’s stop hustling according to the ways of the world and partner with Him from a Kingdom point of view. We must make room in our hearts for the harvest. The 100x crop awaits, my friend. Together, let’s run our races with mighty momentum from radical rest. I’m cheering for you and excited for the MORE that is to come!