“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 NIV
Good soil is what God wants all of us to become. But none of us become this way automatically or instantly. It takes hard work and patience. Jesus says that the two main ingredients of this kind of soil is that it hears the Word and keeps it. First, we need to hear the Word. If we are not hearing the Word, we will never bear fruit. If we are not feeding daily on Scripture, attending Bible studies, hearing God’s Word proclaimed and then, living out what God teaches us from His Word, we will never produce an abundant harvest. Having heard the Word, we must then keep it. Obeying what it says to produce fruit. Good soil produces a crop that is one hundred times more abundant than what was sown. Do we want to be effective in our service for God? Do we want to hear Jesus say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? If so, we need to hear the Word as much as possible, allowing the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in our lives that will last. What pleases the heart of God is not one which makes a dramatic start and then dies out, nor one whose commitment to Christ is slowly choked out by worldly desires. The kind of Christian which pleases God is that one who thoughtfully hears the gospel, understands its implications, and then consistently grows and matures, and which bears fruit as a result.
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord Jesus, soften the soil of my heart that I will be fruitful for You.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, may we be the ones who thoughtfully hears the gospel, understands its implications, and then consistently grows and matures, and which bears fruit as a result. AMEN
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)
Ezra 3:1-13
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