Keep Your Heart in Good Condition: Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15
Jesus spoke in parables which are stories about natural things with underlying meanings. One story he told was of the sower who went out and sowed seeds. This parable is recorded in three of the four gospels. Sowing seed is the process of planting seed to produce a harvest of grain for food.
There was a farmer who went out and scattered seeds. In scattering, some of the seeds fell on a hardened walkway. Birds quickly spotted the seeds and flew down to eat up the seeds. Other seeds fell on rocky places where there was a shallow amount of soil with a little moisture and they were able to grow. But when the sun came up they were scorched, dried up, and withered away because they did not have any roots. Other seeds fell on thorny ground so when they started growing the thorns choked them and they died. Lastly, some of the seeds went into good ground and grew and produced crops of 30, 60, and 100 fold. Jesus told this story and said, “Whoever has ears, let him hear.”
What was the underlying meaning of this parable? The ground where the seed was sown is the condition of the heart of a person who hears the good news of the Word or gospel. The first condition is the hardened heart that hears the Word but doesn’t believe it or has an understanding of it. The Devil comes and takes that Word away before it has any chance to grow. The second type of person hears God’s Word and is joyful and excited, but their experience only lasts a short while because it was just an emotional experience and they didn’t allow the Word to take some depth by learning more about God. The third type of person is one who begins to grow in God but the cares and distractions and worries of the world choke out their growth and they never produce. Lastly, the fourth type of person is one who hears the Word and it takes root in his/ her heart and that person grows in relationship with God by praying, studying, and hearing God’s Word. This person becomes a fruitful Christian (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control) and is a living testimony of God’s grace. This person can sow seeds into other lives such as those of friends and family. Each person can share his/her testimony with others, share words of encouragement and gratitude, pray for others, help others in need, and/or give of their means to help spread the gospel around the world.
Keep God’s Word in your heart, for it is life to those who find it, health to your flesh. Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:20-27)
Personal Development Tip of the week:
How are you keeping your heart in good condition?
Write down a few things today that you are doing or can start doing in your life to not just hear God's words but meditate on them and grow to understand them more in your life each day so that you can reap all the blessings God wants to bring you.
Prayer for the week:
Dear Heavenly Father, I am praying over this individual's week. I’m praying that this individual can continue to draw closer to you this week lord and stay planted in your word even when life challenges get hard. No battle is bigger than your God and I’m praying for you to speak to that battle and continue to move forward in faith this week in Jesus name amen!
-Dayne
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Keep Gods Word In Your Heart