The condition of your heart today will determine how you respond to God’s truth today. What is the condition of your heart according to the Book of Luke?
Question 1
What truth am I refusing to believe?
Like the seed thrown in the path in Luke 8:12, there may be some aspect of God’s truth in your life that is being trampled on or snatched up before it can take root. Your reaction to this truth could be hostile or apathetic. You either reject the truth or just ignore it long enough that it can be taken away.
Take an honest look at what truths are being spoken into your life that you are refusing to believe. What are you dragging your feet on? Is there anything you are intentionally avoiding? Any sin in your life that you are justifying?
Question 2
What truth do I no longer believe?
When we neglect to consistently drink from God’s Word, we start to wither away like a seed thrown on the rocks like in Luke 8:13. As a result, we fall when tempted or fail when tested. Jesus calls us to drink from the living water that He offers, when we do, we will never be thirsty (John 4:14).
When promised of Gid did you once cling close to that you now rarely think of? Are you more in love with Jesus this year than last year? Remember that the believer’s life is a journey, not a sprint. We need to frequently preach the gospel to ourselves so that our hearts remain encouraged.
Question 3
What truth is being overshadowed by lies?
If we believe the lies of the enemy and allow sin to grow in our hearts, it will come out the truth and keep us from growing. This is found in Luke 8:14. When we don’t prioritize God’s truth, it will become overshadowed by the pleasures of concerns of the world.
What “thorns” are choking you? It might be a secret sin you don’t want to confess, like an addiction to pornography or substances or sugar. It could be the distraction of entertainment or envy that you need to feed. Regardless of what these thorns are in your life, your response to them should be the same: turn away from them and turn to Jesus. When we focus on God’s goodness and truth, sin and lies start to fade.
Question 4
What truth is bearing fruit in my life right now?
Even in the most difficult of times, when our hearts are deeply hurting, the Holy Spirit is still working in us. God is shaping us to be more like Jesus despite ourselves. This is why you can be confident that when our hearts are receptive to God’s truth, something will grow. Fruit will be produced in abundance (Like 8:15).
Take a minute to look at where the Spirit may be working in your life. What fruit do you see? If there is no fruit, that would be the reason to examine your faith and consider whether your “soil” has accepted the “seed” of the gospel.
Pray For Change
Based on your answers to these questions, what is the condition of your heart? Are you in a healthy place, or can you think of times when your heart has been more aligned toward God? What changes could you make in your life to better embrace truth and produce fruit?
Regardless of whether times are good or bad, these are questions we should regularly ask ourselves. Examining our hearts and seeing ourselves clearly requires prayer. (Psalm 139:23-24). We need the Holy Spirit to give us the eyes to see. We need God to reveal to us what He wants to change, and we need His power to change it (Philippians 3:13).
Asking these questions may be the heart check the Lord uses to begin changing your heart and equipping you to better serve His kingdom.
From Pity to Praise 