GOOD soil, GOOD hearts, GOOD God - Luke 8:15

Luke 8:15 "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

In this verse in Luke, Jesus is speaking to a multitude of people who have come to listen to him teach and preach. This is the parable of the Sower and the seed. This is the story of the good seed that falls on good ground. What is good ground? A gardener would tell you that good ground is ground that has been prepared to grow something beautiful, a good harvest. The ground has to be cultivated and with added minerals and fertilizer what is produced will be extraordinary. Jesus speaks of the thorns, the rocks, the lack of water, and the way that untilled ground will not be able to grow the seed into something good. The seed will die or be eaten by the birds. Only good ground will be able to grow a good solid healthy root and be able to produce a good crop.

As with many things in life it will take patience to see this good crop grow to what the Lord has planted in us. If our heart is prepared and ready to follow him and his way of living life, then we will one day see the fruit of our patience and our endurance. When we have a good heart, we can know that day by day we will know and reflect the teachings of Jesus in our daily lives. Our thorns and weeds will be removed. The rocks and boulders in our lives that cause us to trip, stumble and fall will be dug out and replaced with smooth, good soil. The Lord will water us with his love and will cultivate us into a field that will produce a great harvest of goodness, truth and love for those who are around us.

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

The promise of a good and perfect gift from the Father is amazing, beautiful, and eternal. Jesus is the perfect gift of goodness from the Father to his children. Share this goodness with everyone, everywhere. The goodness will spread and the harvest of good fruit will continue to grow on earth until the end of time.

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