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SOAP Devotion

Luke 8, Isaiah 15, 16
Scripture

Luke 8:4 As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story:
Luke 8:5 "A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it.
Luke 8:6 Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn't have good roots.
Luke 8:7 Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it.
Luke 8:8 Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

Observation

Jesus is telling the people the parable of the sower. A parable is an illustrated story that Jesus uses very often to bring the point across to the people. As the people listening to Him at that point were probably most familiar with farming, He uses this illustration to explain to them about how we should be "listening" to the word of God.

He them explains what the parable means in the following verses

Luk 8:11 "This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God.
Luk 8:12 The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won't believe and be saved.
Luk 8:13 "The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone.
Luk 8:14 "And the seed that fell in the weeds--well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.
Luk 8:15 "But the seed in the good earth--these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.

Application

I guess for me, after reading these verses, though it was something that I've read before and am suppose to be familiar with, the explanation that Jesus gives about the different categories of people started to hit me again. The question for me is, where am I? And the last bit in verse 8 is really taunting me " Are you listening to this? Really listening?

How many times have I read the word of God without really listening to it? How many times have glazed through the passages which are the Living Breathing Word of God, without really opening my heart to receive it. Even now as I'm reading it, I really pray that His words are carved into my heart.

I do not want to be the category of people in verse 13 which I think that has been the way it is for most of my life, there'll be times when I get really excited about the word and then it dies off the first chance I get.

I WANT for the words to fall on "good-hearts", on my heart that will seize it and hold on to it, no matter what, sticking to it until there's a harvest.

Prayer

Lord I pray for a soft heart that will learn to open itself to you. A heart that will receive your word in not only with temporal enthusiasm, but a heart that will stick to it till the time of your harvest. Lord that I ask for an attentive heart, I ask for a heart that will crave your word, a heart that will recognise it's maker's voice, a heart that will beat to the rhythm of your heart. I pray for a teachable spirit. Lord I ask to be thirsty for your word. Let your agenda run my life and not my own. Amen