Seeds of Spring: A Woman's 40-day JourneyMostra

PREPARE THE SOIL Read Luke 8:4-8. The seed of God that is sown into the good soil is the only seed that bears fruit. What does the "good and honest" heart look like? What kind of hearer is this? This is the one that upon hearing the word of God takes it to heart, listens, repents, believes, and obeys. This is the heart in which the seed takes root, grows, and produces fruit that matures. How do you receive God's word? Jesus tells us this parable to help us examine ourselves: Do I have ears to hear? Do I have a heart that is able to respond to the word of God in repentance, belief, and obedience? As I look back on my life as a professing Christian, I realize that during the first ten years the weeds of the world choked out the word of God. I loved the things of the world. "Real life" was too important. God's word had fallen onto the ground of my heart and began to grow, but the worries and concerns of this world far outweighed the importance of God and His kingdom. Thankfully God didn't leave me there; He rescued me. It was as if He took a rototiller to my heart. But that wouldn't have been enough. He completely replaced my heart with a new one. The seed He sowed into my new heart took root and grew. Since that day this new heart responds so differently to His word. It delights in the law of the Lord! Read Psalm 1. If your heart delights in God and His word, praise and thank Him! Thank Him for the great and immeasurable gift that He has given to you and nurture that gift! If your heart does not delight in the law of the Lord, do not despair, do not give up, and do not walk away. Confess it to the Lord. No one has the power to make the soil of their heart good. Ask God to forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. "Lord, let your living words penetrate our hearts and produce a full harvest of righteousness!" Over the next several weeks, take God's word to your heart and ask Him to help you receive it by faith and then bring it to life through obedience. Ask Him to help you bear a full harvest of righteousness.