YOUR HEART: A GOOD SOIL OR A BAD SOIL?

TUESDAY 08 MARCH 2022

Jesus told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

Reference: Luke 8:15 English Standard Version (ESV) "As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience."

According to Jesus, this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 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 8:12-15 ESV).

If you study the entire parable, one thing is certain: The problem is man's heart and his focus. Proverbs 23:26 says, "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways" (ESV). Giving your heart to the Lord suggests yielding and submitting to Him fully; letting your eyes observe His ways implies unbroken focus on the Word which reveals His ways. If you truly treasure the Lord, you must give your entire heart to Him because where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21 ESV). If your heart is focused on God and rooted in the Word, the Word will prosper in your heart and direct you aright. No wonder Proverbs 4:23 reads, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (NLT). Since your heart determines the course of your life, it means that the investment in your heart matters because that investment usually provides the itinerary pointing to a fixed direction you are headed towards, except you are living a life without purpose.

Now, the seed on good soil stands for those with "good and honest" heart. The Word is the right seed and investment shown to prosper in such good soil and also activate the brain function that enables acting on it. In the process of acting on the Word and persevering, the seed planted produces fruit and yields beneficial results up to a hundred times more than the seed sown or invested. Moreover, a good and honest heart is not a heart that does not encounter or confront the missiles of doubt, arrows of unbelief, times of test and trials, weapons of negativity, thrust of life's worries and distractions of worldly pleasures. Here's the difference: "Perseverance" and "prevailing mentality" are the byword for those with good and honest heart. And it is simply a heart well guided and grounded, according to Proverbs 4:23, such that no matter what the enemy throws at it, it does not prosper.

The more you guard your heart with all diligence and let the Word root in and lodge in your heart, as well as practise it, the stronger your heart connection with the Word becomes. As the connection grows and strengthens, the messages the Word conveys are increasingly and deeply transmitted in your heart, making you more effective in bearing and producing fruitful results. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:8; Luke 8:11; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 1 John 3:9.

Exuberant Declaration: My heart is a good soil for the incorruptible seed: The living and enduring Word of God. With meekness, I receive and seize the Word when it comes to my heart and I hold on to what it says, no matter what, sticking with it until there's an undeniable harvest. Hallelujah!