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. – Matthew 13:22
REFERENCE
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
This parable of the sower reveals the place of the heart whenever God’s Word is taught. It is the heart that receives the Word, therefore, the condition of your heart will determine how much benefit you get from the Word.
If your heart is choked by worries, anxieties, agitations, fears, etc, and the Word seed is sown there, these overpowering contradictory thoughts, rooted in your heart, will not allow the Word to work and produce the expected harvest for you.
Therefore, guard your heart from anything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God in your life. Free yourself from all anxieties, fears and anything that corrupts. And prayerfully resist the devil from stealing the Word that is planted in your heart.
In this parable, it was only those whose hearts were good, i.e. free of clutter, that were able to understand the Word, and thus could produce fruits in differing capacities. The choice is yours to make – you can make your heart good & fertile by being:
* Attentive: Give your ears and heart to the word.
* Receptive: Receive God’s word with meekness and hunger.
* Retentive: Commit to retain God’s word in your heart by meditation.
* Productive: Practice the Word until it ultimately produces fruits in your life.
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Proverbs 4:20-23, Matthew 5:8 & Mark 7:15-23.
PRAYER POINT
Ask for grace to be focused on the Word and for the Word to bear fruits in your life. Also pray against the wiles of the enemy in his plot to render the Word of God powerless in your life.
