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The Word Enlightens.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might. Ephesians 1:18-19
Matthew 13:19a says, "When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart..." But, when the Word is welcomed into our hearts, when it roots down deep and lives there, we grow in spiritual understanding and strength.
In The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4: 1-25), Jesus explains that different things can happen to the seed of the Word that is sown in our lives:
It can be thrown by the roadside and be immediately stolen.
It can grow quickly, wither in the sun, and die because it's not rooted deeply.
It can fall among thorns, be choked, and produce no fruit.
Oh, but the seed sown into prepared, quality soil! It grows, increases, and produces a crop that multiplies exponentially!
While God's Word is absolutely powerful and ever true, we see in this parable that what it does in each of our lives depends on us to some degree. There are practical parameters that affect whether or not truths of the Bible will take root and grow to be healthy and strong in our spirit. We are each responsible for maintaining the soil of our own hearts and tending to the seed that is sown there.
"Soil maintenance" takes constant tending to. We make sure our hearts are always ready to receive from the Lord through His Word. We keep the truths of God's Word before us continually. And we continue to spend time with the Lord, seeking Him and not leaving room for the enemy to snatch away the wisdom, knowledge, and revelation that belong to us as children of God.
Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord. We want to see You!
Pastor Jeff
"Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart.
I want to see You. I want to see You."
—Lyrics by Paul Baloche
© 2007 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
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