Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. When he said this, he called out, Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.

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. Luke 8: 8 & 15

What is good soil? These are people who listen intently to the Lord. They honestly seek to learn and know the truths which flow from the Lord. Jesus will say in a few verses later… “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 8:21) They hear and do! The person closest to God is the person who obeys God and takes His Word seriously. Would Jesus consider you a close relative? Wow, what a thought!

We learn from Jesus that it is imperative for us to keep and obey His life-words to us. Good soil retains those heavenly seeds. Nothing or no one is able to steal them away. Good soil affords the seed opportunity to grow, mature, and bring a harvest. Jesus reiterates it takes patience and perseverance to ultimately bring God’s word to harvest in our life. Those who are the “good soil” are those who have patiently, with trust, continued to commit themselves to the growth and maturity of the Word of God in their life. Real spiritual growth then is not something which happens quickly and will soon be over. No, real spiritual growth occurs over time and takes a lifetime.

You and I must never hurry the growth of the Word of God in our lives or we will become discouraged and disillusioned. We must commit ourselves to growing and doing everything we can to strive for excellence in pursuit of the heart of God. Patience is knowing… God is always at work. Yes, Satan will come in to try and “snatch” the word away by whispering lies in your ears. Good soil holds on to its commitment. The winds of trouble will swirl in to try and sweep away the seeds of God… but good soil stays true. The pleasures of life will nudge their way in to try and suffocate the Word of God, but good soil remains true. Commitment is essential. Commitment is crucial. Your commitment to excellence in your pursuit of Almighty God and your growth in Him will determine how large your garden of God grows.

Blessings,

Pastor