Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 318 – Deep Soil

I was in my happy place twice this week.

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
— Luke 8:15

On Tuesday, I was taking soil samples from metre-deep pits. I love profiling soils, seeing the history in the different layers, analyzing the texture, looking for contamination, and delighting when I find clean, rich earth.

On Thursday, Terri, some of our grandkids, and I salvaged trees and transplanted them onto abandoned coal mine tailings at McTaggart Sanctuary. There, the trees have room to grow. Over time, they will help stabilise the soil, provide refugia for other plants, and begin restoring the ecology of what was once a barren area.

It was a week of looking back and looking forward.

As I reflected on this devotion, I thought about the good soil you are creating in your business or organisation. Those of us who grew up in entrepreneurial families, as Terri and I did, can thank God for the generational head start we received: a prepared soil of enterprise, work ethic, resilience, and faith.

Those of you starting from scratch, bless you. You are building good soil where little existed before, much like planting trees on barren coal mine tailings. It takes patience. It takes faith. It takes perseverance. But we are already seeing growth there, and we pray you will see growth in your work, too.

Then there is the looking forward.

Terri and I planted trees this week under whose shade we will not sit. But perhaps our grandchildren will, and their children too, delighting in the white-throated sparrows, vireos, and blue jays that will one day share that shade with them.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.”
— Jeremiah 17:7–8

Through your diligence, faithfulness, and perseverance, you are preparing good soil for those who will come after you.

Even as you handle the day-to-day challenges of your business, do not forget the deep, rich soil of legacy. The daily decisions matter. The culture you build matters. The integrity you practise matters. The people you train, encourage, and bless matter.

Some of the most important fruit of your work may appear long after you have moved on.

So tend the soil. Deepen the roots. Plant faithfully.

God sees what is growing underground.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for the soil we have received from those who came before us. Thank You for every lesson, sacrifice, correction, encouragement, and act of faithfulness that prepared the ground beneath our feet.

Give us noble and good hearts. Help us hear Your word, retain it, and by perseverance produce a crop. Teach us to build businesses and organisations with deep roots, clean soil, and lasting fruit.

Bless the work of our hands today, and make it a blessing to the generations that follow.

Amen