Luke 8:11-15 - Four Basic Conditions of the Heart - part 2.
Luke 8:11-15 - Four Basic Conditions of the Heart - part 2.
Luke 8:11-15 (NIV) "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed
is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear,
and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts,
so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are
the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they
have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing
they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those
who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's
worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on
good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the
word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
The fate of the word of God depends on the heart into which it
is sown.
* PATH PEOPLE - The hard path represents the shut mind, the mind
which refuses to take it in.
* ROCK PEOPLE - The rocky ground represents those who accept the
word but who never think it out and never realize its consequences
and who therefore collapse when the strain comes.
* THORN PATCH PEOPLE - The thorny ground stands for those whose
lives are so busy that the things of God get crowded out. We must ever
remember that the things which crowd out the highest need not necessarily
be bad. The worst enemy of the best is the second best.
* GOOD SOIL PEOPLE - The good ground stands for the good heart.
The good hearer does three things. First, he listens attentively.
Second, he keeps what he hears in his mind and heart and thinks over it
until he discovers its meaning for himself. Third, he acts upon it. He
translates what he has heard into action. [Barclay Commentary mod]
Farmers scattering seed by hand were a familiar sight in
Jesus' time. The soil was rich for the most part, but there were
thornbushes and fields full of stones. Travelers walked through the fields,
beating down the ground and disturbing the seeds. Some seeds fell on
thin soil that hid the stones underneath. Other seeds were blown into
thornbushes. Neither were good environments for the new plants.
Jesus knew this. He wanted them - and us - to ask some probing
questions: Are our hearts hard, like the paths worn down by travelers, so
that it's easy for Satan to steal away God's truth after we hear it?
Is the soil of our hearts thin and rocky so that the roots of God's
Word can't go very deep? Or are we thorny-ground folks who are so
worried and anxious about our lives that the seed never produces good
fruit or grows into maturity? God's Spirit is always ready and willing
to make our hearts good soil so his Word can grow strong in us. Ask
him to do that today.
Prayer: LORD, I want to receive the seed of your message,
apply it to my life, and be obedient to you. If my heart is hard,
soften it with your love. If my roots aren't deep, enrich the soil.
Deliver me from being consumed with the cares, riches, and pleasures of
this world. Bring forth, by your Spirit, a great harvest in my life!
Quote: "I haven't time!" Of course you have time! Take time,
strangle some other interests, and make time to realize that the center
of power in your life is the Lord Jesus Christ. Oswald Chambers
(1874-1917) [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller]
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