“Cultivating a Good Heart”
Luke 8:4-21
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
It is one thing to hear the Word of God, and quite another to do what it says. This is shown throughout Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation there are those who hear and those hear and do. The Lord is patient, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” [2 Pet 3:9]. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” [Ro 1:20]
As you piece these together you begin to see how God has made eternal life available to all. But there are those who receive and those who reject, and this will continue until Jesus returns. This is illustrated in the Parable of the Sower. Jesus described four soils, each symbolic of a kind of heart. The first flat out rejects the Word; the second hears and gets excited but desires the world more; the third receives the Word but becomes more concerned with the cares of this life; and the fourth hears the Word, retains it, perseveres, and bears fruit. Notice that only one in four bear fruit, a sobering thought! But it was true even in Jesus’ earthly ministry; there were many hearers yet few doers.
As we study this parable, we would do well to inspect our own hearts. What is it that we truly desire in this life? Is it pleasing God, pleasing others, or pleasing self? Is God first or a distant second and third? Is Jesus our first-love or is there something or someone else? It is easy say, “Jesus first,” but a bit more difficult to do in this world of temptation. Where do we invest our time, money, and energy?
Many years ago, a friend said to me, “you can know a person’s heart by his checkbook,” and then turned to Mt 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Over the years I have thought about that more when I open my own check book [and calendar]. How I spend my time, money, and energy, could that be an indicator of where my heart is?
Good soil bears good fruit because seed is cultivated into fertile ground. But the ground can only become fertile as one plants his in the Lord.
Would you like to cultivate a good heart? Would you like a Godly heart? Because a good heart is a Godly heart.
Well, if you do then take a step of faith and begin investing your time, money, and energy in the things of God. And you will begin to see good and lasting fruit in your life.
