PRODUCE A GREAT CROP
Before reading this, take a moment to read Luke 8:4-15. You can go right to it by clicking here.
In the passage above, Jesus describes four types of soil (or heart conditions). The first was the hard soil along the path where the devil snatched the seed of the word away. This exemplifies the person whose heart, because of discouraging and hurtful life circumstances, is very hard even at the surface. The hardness we are talking about can be identified by bitterness, resentment, rejection, anger, and the like.
The second was the soil with rocks, which stood for someone who would believe the word for a little while, but when the time of testing came, they would fall away because they had no root. This speaks of a person who is soft on the surface but has deep-seated hardness that has not yet been dealt with.
The third was soil full of the weeds of worry, riches and pleasure, and those weeds choked out the word.
The fourth soil was the soil of a good and noble heart.
Luke 8:15 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.
James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.
The parable in Luke chapter 8 focuses on what transpires when the word of God is made known to someone. How a person responds to the word of God given to them will determine how far that person will be able to go in the wonderful life of God.
God longs to prosper you! All the elements required for his fulfilling and fruitful life are available to you through his precious word. Consider your heart – is there hardness? Are there places of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness?
The first step to experiencing all that God has for you is to admit the areas of hardness that are in your life and are blocking the full potential of what God has for you. Approach God with confidence, knowing that all your sin is paid for, and you are already forgiven. Admit these things to God, asking Him to cleanse you of them and receive his abundant provision of mercy and grace!
Once you’ve done this, get excited about the seed of his word, and hold on to its truths with everything you have! Commit yourself to consistently doing what you are learning, and you will find yourself growing by leaps and bounds. Be careful to keep at bay those things that would try to choke out the life of God within you. Those things are the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts for other things. These things are tricky and want to keep you from God’s best for you. It is easy to get caught up in the news, Facebook, Instagram and the like. These things aren’t necessarily bad but can still your time and even draw your heart away from God. The Bible counsels us to be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16 If you want to know what you should be thinking about, click here.
It is time for you to step into your most rewarding and fulfilling life! It is time for your life to produce a great crop! May you, like this parable, have a noble and good heart! May you hear the word, retain it and...
PRODUCE A GREAT CROP
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