In this Episode we are looking at the topic-How is your heart? This topic is actually an
extension of our last topic on the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
We saw in that last Episode that in order to enjoy an abundant and fruitful life, we must
plant the word of God in our lives by consistently studying, meditating and confessing it.
We saw that the word of God we faithfully plant into our lives today, will transform into
blessings of fruitfulness tomorrow.
However, whether we actually experience a fruitful and abundant life depends on our
understanding and response to the Word of God. The Word is good seed. But good
seed can only bear fruit if planted on good and productive soil. And this takes us to our
topic. How is your heart? Is your heart good soil? Is your heart productive?
Proverbs 4: 23 instruct us to guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it spring the
issues of life. Jesus declared in Mark 12:30 that we should love the Lord our God will all
our heart, soul, mind and strength. When describing the kingdom of God, Jesus
revealed that it is the things that come out of the heart that defile a man. Matthew 15:16-
20.
The difference between a dry unfruitful life, and a life that is fruitful and blessed, is the
condition of the heart and the attitude of our hearts towards the Word of God.
In the popular parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus explained our
different responses to the word of God based on the condition of our hearts.
According to that parable, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the
seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky
places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was
shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered
because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the
plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or
thirty times what was sown.
 Jesus later explained this parable to His disciples. He explained to them that the Sower
is God. The seed is the word of God while the ground or the soil is our hearts. Just as
the soil determines whether the seed would bear fruit, the condition of our hearts
determine whether the word of God would bear fruit in our lives.
 
If we take time to study the word of God, understand it, believe it and receive it whole
heartedly, the Word of God would produce abundant blessings and fruitfulness in our

lives. In this case, our hearts would produce a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown.
However, though the seed is good; the word of God is true and powerful, the condition
of a man’s heart may hinder him from receiving the blessings of the word.
Some people hear the word of God but it does not penetrate their hearts because of
their resistance and unwillingness to receive it. Such people have built a barrier in their
hearts. They are most likely held in bondage by the devil and have no chance to receive
the word of God. These are the seed that fall along the path.
The second group whose seed fell on rocky and shallow soil is made up of people who
receive the word with joy and enthusiasm. In these days of large evangelistic crusades,
stirring praise and worship and persuasive messages when it has become the fashion
to be born again, a lot of people answer the alter call and give their lives to Christ at
crusades. But they do not bother to understand the process of spiritual growth and
maturity so they do not mature; they have no depth and do not develop root. So when
problems and hardship come their way within a short time, they get confused and return
to their old ways.
The third group is made up of people who receive the word also happily but the cares,
riches and pleasures of life choke the word and do not allow them to bear fruit.  Jesus
describes the hindrances of this group as “the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of
wealth and the desires for other things.” (13:22)
It seems to me that majority of Christians today belong to this group. We do not fall
away like people in the other groups but the cares of the world hinder us from growing
spiritually and so we remain baby Christians and unfruitful all through life. They confess
Christianity, but if you try to discuss the scriptures with them, they are quick to change
the subject, We are too busy to attend religious activities but always make time to watch
movies, and television shows and take active part in all sorts of social and cultural
activities.
Many of us really have no time to study the bible, pray or nurture our relationship with
the Lord because we are too busy with work, business and all sorts of activities. The
best we can do is to attend service on Sunday. Some of us are even too busy attending
church meetings, committee meetings and project meetings that we have no time to
study and internalize the word of God. Also in this group we find Christians who are
always angry, resentful, bitter, anxious and perpetual complainants. These conditions of
the heart are weeds that stifle the Word of God from bearing fruits in our lives.
When we allow thorns-the worries, the cares and pleasures of the world to take over our
lives then the Word really has no chance to grow or bear fruit in us. The issues of life
choke the word and we end up pushing the things of God to the sidelines while we
struggle through the challenges of life on our own. This is the situation in which most of

us find ourselves. And this is the reason why we run after quick prayers and today today
miracles.
But the bible clearly warns us in Galatians 6:7 as we saw in the last episode- not to be
deceived, because God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, he reaps. It is not
God’s intention that we reap unfruitfulness and lack. His plan for us is not to remain
spiritual babes. God’s plan and purpose for us is to produce a crop of hundred, sixty or
thirty times what we sow. But we cannot bypass the growth cycle. We must cultivate,
nurture and prepare our hearts to produce fruits.
So it is imperative that we don’t get too busy to study the word of God.
Let me reiterate that the way we receive the Word is critical to having a fruitful and
blessed life.
The difference between the good soil and the others is that they “hear the word and
accept it” they give quality time to it. The seed is good but will be productive only if the
soil is receptive. We need to be the good soil if we want to have an abundant harvest
and a blessed life.
In conclusion how do we assess and recognize a good heart.  A good heart is one that
recognizes the Grace and mercy of God; A heart that recognizes that we are saved and
established by grace and not by work;  A heart that trusts in the faithfulness of God. It is
a heart that is enthusiastic about studying the word of God. It is a heart that is filled with
gratitude to God and ever willing to praise Him for His goodness. May we all labour to
have good hearts.