The Heart - What Kind of Ground Are You?

There are many Biblical references concerning the heart.

Upright heart

We are warned not to harden our hearts

The Bible speaks concerning those who err in their heart

Perfect heart (having integrity

Froward heart (Crooked/perverse – likened to a wicked person. Ps 101:4)

Proud heart

Broken in heart

Contrite heart (crushed)

A fixed heart

Praise God with the whole heart

Established heart

Pure in heart

Secrets of the heart

Meditation of the heart (what you ponder and think on)

Greasy heart….

The Bible even likens the heart of the proud who have forged lies as being  “as fat as grease…” (Psalm 119:70)  Meaning they are spiritually undiscerning and unhealthy.

Sound heart….

A few verses later in that same chapter, David prayed that God would  help his heart to be sound (H8549 = without blemish) in God’s statutes (God’s laws and ways) so that he wouldn’t be ashamed. (Ps 119:80)

And the list could go on concerning the references to the heart.

THE HEART IS THE SEAT OF OUR EMOTIONS

Jesus himself taught in Matthew 15:19

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies

And again in Mark 7:21-22

For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness (unbridled lust),
an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness;

We think those things are not in our heart but Jeremiah wrote…

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:9

Many people have fallen because they skipped prayer time here and Bible reading there, missed a service here and then another one there, until little by little the things of God began to take a back burner (so to speak) in their life until finally they fell into sin and walked away from God and the Church.

That’s why we stress the need to hide God’s Word in our heart – daily Bible reading, daily and often prayer time, often fastings.

David penned in Psalm 119:11

Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

Psalm 37:31  - The law of His God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Meaning:

The more time we spend in prayer and reading the Bible, the closer we’ll draw to God. 

The closer we draw to God, the further we’ll get away from the world. 

The further we get away from the world, the less likely we will be to give in to sin.

THE SOIL OF THE HEART – WHAT KIND OF GROUND ARE YOU?

Matthew 13:3-9

And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying,
Behold, A SOWER went forth to sow;
And when he sowed, some SEEDS fell by THE WAY SIDE,
and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Some fell upon STONY PLACES, where they had not much earth:
and forthwith they sprung up, because they had not deepness of earth:
and when the sun was up, they were scorched;
and because they had no root, they withered away.
And some fell among THORNS;
and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.
But other fell into GOOD GROUND, and brought forth fruit,
some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying in this parable, so they asked Him to explain.  Jesus began to expound/explain concerning the meaning of each of these types of ground….

We’re going to look at and read both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of the Parable of the Sower for clearer understanding.

Read Matthew 13:18-23 (read also Luke 8)

THE SOWER is the Pastor/Preacher/or Teacher.

THE SEED that is sown is the WORD OF GOD. (Luke 8:11)

THE WAY SIDE:

Matthew 13:19 - When one heareth the Word of the Kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.  This is he which received seed by the way side.  

Luke 8:12 - Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 

STONY PLACES:

Matthew 13:20 – But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended.

Luke 8:13 – They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

THORNS:

Matthew 13:21 - He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the Word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Luke 8:14 – And that which feel among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

GOOD GROUND:

Matthew 13:22 – But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Luke 8:15 – But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

This parable which Jesus told helps us to understand why some people will come, appear to live for Jesus for a little while, then eventually turn back to the world.  It’s because the soil of their heart was not good soil.

We each are responsible for tending the soil of our own heart.

The Pastor preaches and teaches, trying to sow the Word of God into our heart.

But he can only do so much. 

It is our personal responsibility to tend to our heart as one tends to a garden, so that the soil of our heart is good ground to receive the Word and allow it to take root and bring for spiritual fruit.

Just as one who is planting a garden has to till and get the rocks out of the soil. They also have to get out there in the hot sun to pluck out weeds and tares that are trying to spring up next to the vegetable or fruit plants, we also have to examine our heart and weed out any roots of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15) or weeds of gossip. 

Don’t listen to it and don’t spread it.  Cast the rumor weeds out of your heart.

We have to take hold of and pull up tares of distraction.

Have you ever sat in Church, raised your hands during service, but your mind was not on worship, the songs being sung, or what the pastor was preaching?  It was wandering off to other things?  That is a spirit of distraction.

That same spirit of distraction will also try to affect our prayer and Bible reading time.  Have you ever began to pray but suddenly think of what you need to do or perhaps to someone (other than God)? So you send a quick text or make a quick call.

Sometimes, it could be that a text or call comes in while you are trying to pray. Perfect bad timing?  Or is it really a distraction sent from the devil?

We have to recognize what the devil is trying to do.  He tries to sow tares of distraction so the Seed/the Word of God does not take root in our heart.

The Bible instructs us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we have to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  We have to make our mind focus on the things of God.

The Bible also tells us to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.

We have to cast out anything in our heart anything that tries to keep us bound to sin and things of this world.  

We need to be on guard and aware of any tool, any distraction, any thing that the devil would try to sow into our heart to separate us from our Savior.

Lest satan should get an advantage of us:
for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Cor 2:11

The devil will devise plans and schemes which he will use to distract us or cause us to become offended or angry or hurt in an effort to destroy our souls because he (our adversary) is like a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Pet 5:8)

As long as your living for Jesus, the devil is going to fight you.

But don’t let that be what you focus on. 

Focus on making sure the soil of your heart is good ground….

• ·        daily Bible reading
• ·        daily and consistent prayer times
• ·        often fastings
• ·        Faithfulness to God and Church
• ·        Examining our own heart and getting any sin out
• ·        Making sure there the fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives (Gal 5:22-23)
• ·        Weeding out the works of the flesh that may try to creep into our heart
  (Gal 5:19-26)
• ·        Keeping our focus, our minds, our hearts, and our eyes on Jesus