Last week I started out with grand intentions.
And then I flopped.
But we're going to pick up where I left off last Monday and carry on with the gardens of our lives today. Because, after all, we can't wait another day to get something good into the soil of our lives.
Except before we can plant anything of any value in our lives, we do need first to prepare the soil.
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 13 about a seed sower who scattered seeds on different types of soil. Later he explained the story to His disciples. He said that just about anything from misunderstanding to the cares of the world to great riches can cause the truth which has been sown in a heart to die or be choked out, resulting in no growth.
Then in verse 23 He said,
But the one (seed) sown on the good ground—
this is one who hears and understands the word,
who does bear fruit and yields:
some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown.
Matthew 13:23
But how do you know if you have good soil? Exactly what does a heart laden with good soil look or feel like?
According to the scripture it is one that has the ability to do several things:
- listen
- understand
- obey
- bear fruit
A heart that is able to do these things is one that has the Holy Spirit residing in it. Jesus taught in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit would come upon His disciples after He had left in order to, among other things, "guide them into all truth." Today, if you have asked Jesus to be your savior and Lord and have entrusted your life to Him, both here on earth and eternally, then He has sent His Holy Spirit to abide in you as well. What a powerful thought! God in us!
Indeed, we must have the Holy Spirit living in us in order to understand truth. He gives us the desire to read or hear it, the ability to understand it, and even the desire and ability to obey it. Meanwhile, He's also producing His fruit in us as we abide in Him and He abides in us.
Fruitful Soil
So fruitful soil, when it comes to our lives, is a heart that is hungry for God's Word, one that studies and reads the Word with the abiding assistance of the Holy Spirit, one that is willing to obey the commands of the Bible no. matter. what., and one that bears fruit as a result of the implanted word.
James 1:21 tells us the implanted Word is "able to save your souls." It changes our lives, produces new fruit, sustains that growth, and saves us from our own bent toward destruction.
So what about you?
- Do you have the Holy Spirit living within you? If you'd like to know more about how you can know Jesus and His Holy Spirit, please e-mail me.
- Do you ask Him to guide you into all truth as you read the Word of God? Do you depend on His guidance rather than your own intelligence, former teachings, or preconceived ideas?
- Are you willing to obey the Word without reservation? God will bless your obedience. It is an act of faith.
- And have you noticed the Word of God producing fruit in your life, changing your character and opening your eyes?
Tomorrow we'll start planting, but today let's focus on these questions and do the work we need to do in order to prepare the soil.
What will you do to prepare the soil of your heart?
Labels: discipleship, fruit-bearing, What's in Your Pack
