The Condition of the Heart
But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:15
I shared this devotional back in 2005 on this day. It is a great follow up to the teaching on REPENTANCE from yesterday. If you missed it, go back and take a look at it.
Dr. Henry Blackaby is one of my “author” mentors. He has such a powerful teaching ministry and has been a great blessing to me. He addresses the issues of the heart in his devotional, Experiencing God – The Devotional (Broadman & Holman):
At any time, the receptiveness of your heart will determine your response to God’s Word (Luke 8:5-18). If your heart is like trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, you will be unable to accept a message from God. Though you HEAR the words of the message, you will remain unchanged.
If your heart is like the shallow soil on top of a rock, you will accept God’s Word in your MIND but the truth will not penetrate your HEART to make a difference in your actions. A heart like thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God’s Word from taking hold and producing righteousness. The heart that is good soil receives a word from God, applies it, and brings forth fruit in due time. This is the heart that Jesus desires in us, for the fruit will be a Christ-like life.
Any time you hear a word from God, whether through Bible reading, prayer, or worship, the way you respond will depend on how you have cultivated your heart (Hosea 10:12). How do you develop a heart that is like good soil? REPENT [there’s that KEY word] of any bitterness, anger, or unforgivenss that is hardening your heart. MEDITATE on God’s Word until it enters deep into your heart and not just your mind. When you read or hear a word from God, apply it to your life and let God bring His Word into reality in your life (Galatians 6:9). PROTECT your lifestyle. See that you don’t devote all your energy to worldly concerns, rather than to pursuing your relationship with God.
The condition of your heart will vary, depending on how YOU cultivate it. If it is receptive to a word from God yesterday, this does not guarantee it is receptive today. DAILY prepare your heart for the word God has for YOU!
Three key words to help guard your heart: REPENT, MEDITATE & PROTECT! How are you doing today? What is the condition of your heart? Not sure? Start with these three words! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Compass Pointers: Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so new; late have I loved you! You were within me, and I was outside; and I sought you outside and in my loneliness fell upon those lovely things that you have made. You were with me, but I was not with you.... You called me and cried to me and broke open my deafness; you sent forth your beams and shone upon me and chased away my blindness; you breathed your fragrance upon me, and I drew in my breath and now I pant for you; I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst for you; you touched me, and I burn for your peace. Augustine
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God and a scourge for Satan. John Bunyan
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