It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Posts tagged ‘The Good Soil’

The Good Heart Soil

The good heart is one that receives the word of God and is softened by allowing the word to remove the hate and bitterness that has caused the heart to be hardened. It takes time to know and fellowship with God through His word and prayer. The time we spend communing with God allows us to understand His word and His ways, so that we can remove those stony places that have developed over past hurts and failures. 

The more we know about Jesus and the fellowship of His suffering, the more we will understand that life is full of troubles. In knowing God’s word, we are able to better deal with our problems according to His ways, so that we will be able to process them, deal with them and move on from them. We will recognize that earth is not our forever home and that we are just passing through it as we prepare for our eternalhome. So, when persecution, tribulation and chaos come into our lives we are not easily offended. We do not allow our circumstances to be our focus but we let the love and the forgiveness of God cultivate our good heart soil. 

Matthew 13:8-9 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJ

Philippians 3:10-11 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

There are many things that vie, contend and struggle for the time and attention of our hearts. It is our will, be it a conscious or unconscious decision, that will determine the state and condition of our heart. Life is difficult and for those who refuse to forgive and choose to live in anger and resentment theyharden their hearts to the seed of God’s word. These hardened hearts cannot receive God’s word, so the enemy will come and steal the seed of truth from them. 

A good heart receives the word with joy and will let go of thoseharden stones of hate and bitterness that was in their hearts. A good heart receives the truth of God’s word and allows it to spring up, to have depth and to take root. When the heat of life,persecution and tribulations blaze on them, they are not easily offended nor will they wither away. Because they allowed the depth of God’s word to remove the hate and pride and allowedthe word to take deep root in their hearts.  

Colossians3:12-13 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 

A good heart receives the word of God as truth and will not let the worries of living life, the desires of this world or the pursuit of its riches to choke the seed of God’s word from of their heart. They are able to trust God with their life and their future,learning to be content in whatever situation they are in and understanding that this is God’s will for their life. Having faith in God, believing and trusting that He will be faithful to His word and provide a way of escape out of every situation. 

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:   I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.   I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Every child is born with an innocence, a state of being without guile, corruption or hate but because of this fallen world, sin has changed and deformed us all. An innocent heart is turned into one of hate, full of pride and bitterness because of the evilness of mankind. This can cause the good heart God created to be twisted into a heart that is hardened, stony and full of thorns and will not allow the love, forgiveness and compassion of God to grow. 

A good heart is one that will produce much fruit and is one that knows the promises of God, trusts God and rests in His love and faithfulness. Though hard times come they do not loose faith because they will pray about everything, rejoice in all things and give thanks to God that He knows their situation and circumstances. They believe in His word and believe the problems they are going through; God will change and allow them to be used for their good. These problems will also will reveal and reflect His glory and divine will for their lives on the earth. 

Matthew 13 18-23

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

A good heart will live in God’s Shalom peace, which surpasses natural human understanding. A good heart will rest in the knowledge of God and allows them to be restful and peaceful. Good heart soil is capable of producing and reaping thirty, sixtyand a hundred times more than what was sown in their lives and the lives of others. 

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. NKJ

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The Good Soil – Soil of the Soul

Hearts that are open to the truth of God’s word are not absent of hard times and these hearts have allowed the problems of this world and their personal struggles to draw them closer to God. Hearts that are plowed with truth in the hard places are opened and they are ready to receive the word of God. It is the word that is planted in the good soil of the heart that can produce much fruit.

We must learn how to turn our hardened hearts into good soil to receive the truth of God’s word. We are born with a heart of stone as the result of man’s fall from his created purpose. God promised to give us a heart of flesh that gives us a heart of compassion and a desire to know Him. We see in the parable those who refuse the word of God and do not continue in the word of God, their hearts were never changed. Those who allow the word of God to penetrate their hearts and change their lives are those who hearts God changed to flesh.

Mark 4:8-9  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJV

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh

People who are soft to the problems of others and to their fellow man who is struggling in this world are moved with compassion. Jesus, when He saw the multitude, was moved with compassion to act on their behalf. He did not just feel sorry for them and shake His head in disbelief as many today often do when they see atrocities and do nothing. It is the heart of God in us that moves us to action, to right the wrong, to help the needy, to seek justice for those who are not being treated justly. A heart that is open to God’s word will receive the word and act on it even at the cost of self-sacrifice. This is the example Jesus left us and told us to follow. This new commandment He gave was that we love one another as He has loved us and gave His life for us.

Matthew 9:36 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

John 13: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

When a seed is planted it must be watered in order for it to grow. Those who receive this word and are watered by the word grow and produce some thirtyfold return on their investment. Some received sixty and some a hundred fold return on their investment in God’s word. God is not playing favorites. Some believe God lets some people do well and others do poorly. But God has put His word in motion and says it is up to you and it is according to your faith in the word it will be done unto you.

Ephesians 3:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

1 Corinthians 3:6  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

 

This is a principle; a seed will produce after its own kind as long as the earth remains. When a seed is planted it goes into the ground and dies to its self. It is no longer one seed, for it becomes a sprout with roots and when watered it becomes a plant that will grow and produce more fruit. It is a process and God gives us this example to show us how we may grow and produce much fruit. Every farmer knows soil must be turned to soften the soil and some soil needs preparation and added nutrients to get the soil ready for the seed. Just as we need to keep hearing the word to grow in our faith and prepare our hearts for the work God has for us.

Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

Once the seed is planted it must be watered for it to produce fruit. Those seeds that are well watered produce much fruit and those that are without water produce less or no fruit. God has no respect for person but He honors His word. People get a return on their invested in God’s word. Our faith allows us to give in quantities that we are comfortable with. We may give in the measures of ones, some in the quantity of tens and others who venture to give in the measures of hundreds and thousands. The world calls them crazy and foolish until they began to see the harvest or the return on their investment.

God says their return will come in the same measurements that they gave. We will receive according to our planting. If we give with teaspoons God will bless us with multiplied abundant teaspoons of blessing and if we give in the measure of a dump truck, God will give us a multiplied abundance of blessing.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

It takes faith to put good seed in the ground, seed that could be used for food and profit at the moment. A farmer may know he has only a little seed left but when he chooses to plant the seed, this shows his faith in the process of sowing and reaping to obtain the amount of seed he needs for the next season. A harvest is received later than when it was sowed but it is also greater than what was sowed. So many people fail to stand firm and wait for their harvest. They give up before the harvest God promised matures. Remember we are told we will reap if we faint not. Sowing and reaping a harvest is a promise from God but we must be willing to persevere the difficult and dry times and wait on God’s abundance of thirty, sixty and hundred fold.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

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