Read the Bible EffectivelyNäide

Work the ground

How do you store the Word of God in your heart?

How do you read the Bible effectively?

For that, we turn to the parable of the sower.

Mark 4:14-20
“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

The sower is you. The seed is the Word. You read the Word and sow it in your heart. But it cannot bear fruit if you have not adequately tilled the soil in your heart. You can see in the examples of the parable the consequences of when the seed falls into the wrong soil: Satan takes away the Word, it doesn't take root, and therefore, you stumble; you hear it, but the temptation of the world stifles it.

So, how do you cultivate the soil of your heart so that it becomes good soil?

You do this by creating almost solely space for the Word and leaving no room for other doctrines, ideologies, views, and worldly philosophies. You focus with your heart purely on God and what He says, not on what someone else says or the world teaches you. Only then is the ground not littered with all kinds of weeds, and the seed [the Word of God] is given room to grow.

As with any seed, care is needed when sowing a seed in your heart. When you sow soil with the seeds of daffodils, you also need to nurture the soil with water, sunlight, and possibly some extra nourishment. The same is true of the Word of God. When you constantly take the Word to your heart, you also want to nurture it so that it grows and eventually blossoms and bears fruit.

You “tend” the Word by doing what the Word says. You hear the Word [sow it], you accept it [put it in the ground], apply it [nurture it], and it will bear fruit [bloom].

You apply it by speaking words of life, for example.

Instead of “I always get a cold from this weather,” you say, “I thank God that He takes care of me every day and has paid for my health.”

You can speak of the blessings that God gives in the Bible. We call that proclamation, “I don't worry because God provides what I need every day.” (Matthew 6:34)

Applying is also done by doing. Do you want to love your neighbor as yourself? Then call a friend, for example, and ask how things are really going. Or run errands for your elderly neighbor who has difficulty walking.

There are plenty of other examples to apply what you read. Live like Jesus, He walked the perfect walk with God.

You will notice that you will live a different life. You will find that you will begin to bear fruit and that you will not be knocked down when circumstances work against you, because you are standing on a rock-solid foundation (Luke 6:47).