In a world plagued by bad news, bad ideas, and, let’s be honest, an abundance of bad attitudes, we find ourselves craving even the tiniest morsel of good news. By beckoning slivers of hope in the form of somewhat trivial pleas, we pray for something (or anything) to go our way.

Please let my teenager be in a good mood today. Please tell me the dog didn’t pee in the house again. Please help me remember the password to yet another app.

Nowadays it seems like the good old days have been replaced with the can-anything-go-right kind of days. Hence we succumb to surviving off of the crumbs of the slightest success.

Yet, when small blessings become big boosts of faith and just a pinch of humor provides a belly full of laughter, we know our souls are hungry for the only Good News that fully satisfies.

For a follower of Christ, Good News is not about what we want to see, hear, or remember, instead it is all about who we need to know. The Good News with capital letters embodies a Person with the same.

Life-satisfying Good News is only found in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Tripp Prince encourages us to, “Prepare the soil of your life for the seeds of hope that the Lord longs to plant deep within your heart and soul.”

When the Good News of the Gospel scatters seeds of hope and The Word waters and nourishes, roots of faith will grow deep in the soil of the soul.

The Good News cultivates rich soil and rich soil promotes the development of deep roots.

Oswald Chambers wrote in My Utmost for His Highest, “The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest snares is the idea that God is sure to lead us to success.”

So why do we try to survive off of surface level good news, when God is waiting patiently to cultivate the deeper soil of our souls for eternity? Why do we cling to the crumbs of the slightest success when the Bread of Life Himself will plant and nourish seeds of hope that have the power to sustain a victorious life?

Because the enemy wants us to think that things like control, power, wealth, the absence of hardships, and progress at any cost lead to a successful life, when God longs for us to believe in the victory claimed through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of His Son.

Satan always tries to get us to question what God actually said (Genesis 3:1).

Often times when our minds exclaim can anything go right, our deeper heart cry questions is God really for my good? However, God’s goodness is never dependent on our success. In fact, God’s blessings are unearthed more often through hardships than accolades.

Satan still sets snares in our thinking while God grants opportunities for all things to work together for good for His glory (Romans 8:28). There remains a battle in the garden.

Dear friends, prepare the soil of your life.

Only the Word of God can penetrate the depths of our hearts and souls for His glory (Hebrews 4:12). Only the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can scatter eternal seeds of hope.

Prepare the soil of your heart.

Do you desire roots of faith that can weather the storms of bad news in your life? Do you want God to transform your surviving into thriving?

Prepare the soil of your soul.

Prepare the soil of your life, heart, and soul to receive the Good News daily through prayer, being present, Bible reading, pondering, studying, stillness, faith-filled community, and service.

Bad news will abound, but the Good News cultivates rich soil for roots of faith to secure our eternal destinies in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Prepare the soil and thrive on faith.