Produce a Great Crop

Before reading this Encouraging Note, please take a moment to read Luke 8:4-15. You can go right to it by clicking here.

In this passage, Jesus describes four types of soil (or heart conditions). The first was the hard soil along the path where the devil snatches the seed of the word. This exemplifies the person whose heart is hard because of discouraging and hurtful life circumstances. The hardness we are talking about can be identified by bitterness, resentment, rejection, anger, etc.

The second soil condition was shallow soil with hard rock beneath. This soil speaks of someone who receives the word of God, but when the time of testing comes, they fall away because they have no root. This soil illustrates a person who has a tender heart but also has deep-seated hardness that has not been dealt with. The third soil was full of weeds which Jesus described as the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the longing for what this world has to offer. Jesus said that those kinds of weeds choke out the word. Contrary to the first three soils, Jesus characterized the fourth soil as good soil, which he said was 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 is crucial because it will determine how far that person can go in the glorious life of God.

Because God longs to prosper us, he has given us everything we need to step into his fulfilling and fruitful life through his precious word. This is why we must carefully consider the condition of our hearts! Is there hardness? Are there places of bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness?

The first step to experiencing all that God has for you is to recognize and admit the hard areas in your life that are blocking the full potential of what God has for you. When you are honest with those areas and ask God to cleanse you of them, you will receive his abundant provision of mercy and grace! Your honesty and humility are what causes the release of God’s healing for true deliverance! It is vital to keep in mind that you can always approach God with confidence, knowing that all your sin is paid for and you are already forgiven.

Once you’ve done this, get excited about the seed of his word, and hold tightly to its truths! 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. Again, those things are the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and a passion for the things this world offers. Remember, the devil uses your natural desires to trick you and keep you from God’s best. As you know, it is easy to get caught up in the news, Facebook, Instagram, and the like. You must beware! These things can steal 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

Today is your opportunity to step into the most rewarding and fulfilling life of all – the life of faith! Now is your chance to produce a great crop! Like the fourth type of soil, may you have a noble and good heart! May you hear the word, retain it, and...

Produce a great crop