Learning To Hear And Cooperate With God

In summary of Luke 8:15 it says, “And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.”

Bottom Line:

The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in an obedient heart, obey it and patiently produce good fruit.

What this means to me:

God’s word provides me with what I need to live the life he wants for me.  I need to hear it, and then take it to heart and make it part of my life.  If I do, I’ll produce much fruit for His sake.  I have learned that God will speak to people who decide in advance to do what he tells them to do, not those who say, "God, tell me what to do and then I'll decide if I want to do it." When I have an attitude of cooperation, I’m more likely to hear from God. In my quiet times, I say, “God, I'm checking in with you. Anything you want to do in my life today, anything you want to tell me."  A willing mind is the good soil that is represented in this verse.  I need to be able to say, "God, I'm willing to do whatever you want me to do. Even if it seems scary or unusual or hard, I'm going to do it, and I'm going to keep at it until I bear fruit."  This is a scary notion and I have to admit, I’m not perfect at it.  Bearing fruit takes persistence and the willingness to pass it on to others; teach someone else.  Rick Warren explains that the secret of growth is that “Whatever you learn, as soon as you learn it, pass it on to someone.  One who teaches, grows the most -- because when you teach you show that you've not only heard it, but you've incorporated it and can communicate it to others.  I’m looking forward to the next semester of growth groups at my church.  I’ll be leading / facilitating a group again.  I always like to be prepared ahead of time to understand what will be talking about so that I can help guide the discussion and point out what I learn from the passages.  In summary, I need to continually get into His word.  I need to take it to heart and make it part of my life.  I need to share what I learn with others.