Tilling the Soil of the Heart: God's Voice..Craig Denison Ministries

 Tilling the Soil of the Heart: God's Voice

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

This week we'll look at a vital spiritual practice to all those seeking to grow in God:tilling the soil of the heart. Jesus spoke in Matthew 13 of two different types of soil—hard and soft. God longs for us to till the soil of our hearts that we might be receptive to the seed of his word and bear fruit. May your heart become more responsive to the presence, will, and love of God this week as you cultivate good soil with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture:“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

Devotional:

Spiritual father Brother Lawrence once wrote, "There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God." We are meant to commune with our heavenly Father, to be in conversation with him throughout the day concerning all that’s going on around us. For a long time, I held the belief that God doesn’t like to talk. I thought you found out how to live the Christian life solely through reading the Bible, going to church, listening to sermons, etc. I thought prayer was just asking God for things and waiting to see if he said yes or no through circumstances. God does speak through circumstances and his word, to be sure, but he also loves to speak directly to his children. He longs to be in conversation with us.

The Bible clearly teaches that God speaks to his people. Jesus teaches us in John 16:13 that “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” In John 10:27 God tells us, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” God promises to speak to you as his child. He longs to tell you his love for you even more than you long to hear it. He longs to tell you his plans even more than you want to know them.

There hasn’t been a single thing more impactful in my life than hearing the voice of God. His voice is so tender when I need tenderness, corrective when sin constricts my life, and powerful when only he can make the changes in my life that need to be made. He speaks perfectly, never a word out of place and always at the perfect time. You might hear God more than you think. I’ve never heard him speak audibly to me, but every day he whispers to my heart what I need to know. There are days I don’t stop to listen. There are times I allow the weight of the world to crowd out his voice. But as I turn my heart back towards him, I find out that he was there—speaking all along. He whispers of his love for me when I feel crushed by the opinion of man. He tells me he’s proud of me when I feel like everything I’m doing doesn’t measure up. He whispers of his plans for me when I turn and go my own way. It’s not because I’m gifted in some certain way that I hear his voice, but rather because God in his grace loves to speak.                       

God has never made a spiritually deaf person. You can hear God because his voice is immeasurably more about his love than your abilities. You are his child; his love for you is vast, unchanging and unceasing. All it takes to hear him is simply inclining an ear to him and allowing his words to take root in you. As he speaks of his love, you will feel the chains of the world fall off. As he tells you of his purpose, you will discover that a plan has been in the works for you since before you were born. Choose to listen to his voice today; let it drown out the cares of the world and create a soil in you receptive to his seed, fertile and filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

Guided Prayer:

1.Meditate on the truth of what the Bible says about hearing God.

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” - Isaiah 30:21

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” - John 16:13

2.Now take time to listen to God. Ask him how he feels about you. Talk to him about anything that’s bringing you stress. Listen for a whisper of his voice or an inclination that seems to be of God.

3.Let the truth of what he’s speaking settle into your heart. Pay attention to inclinations, to longings or urgings of the Spirit. Ask him for greater understanding of what he’s speaking to you. Choose to trust that he will speak and guide you into the fullness of life if you will simply follow him.

There is a practice to hearing God’s voice, but it’s more a practice of casting off the things of the world than anything else. Sometimes, it takes time to quiet your soul and focus on God. Don’t be frustrated if you feel like you aren’t hearing anything. The weight of all of this is on God. God speaks in any and every way he can. He loves to speak through the Bible and through circumstances so listen for his voice and continually seek him. There’s no pressure from God. He desires to take weight and burden from us instead of putting it on. He just wants you to live in relationship with him. Let his voice settle in your heart today and become a refreshing source for you in every circumstance.

Extended Reading: John 16

Grounded in Truth..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Grounded in Truth

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 25:4-10

If we'll let the truths of Scripture fill our minds, guard our emotions, and influence our conduct, God will richly reward us. I'm talking about spiritual blessings here (though He at times chooses to bless materially as well). By reading and meditating on His Word, you'll learn to understand His ways. This isn't something we can figure out on our own, because His ways are unlike ours—they are higher, bigger, and eternal.

Also, your relationship with the Lord will grow increasingly more intimate because He chooses to reveal Himself to those who seek Him and obey His instructions. When you see that God always keeps His promises, your confidence in His faithfulness will soar. No matter what the situation, you'll know you can trust Him. Then He'll transform your worries into joyful anticipation about what He's going to do next in your life. Even if hard times await, you'll be convinced that the Lord will work them out for good.

A life grounded in truth is powerful. Those who live by the Word develop spiritual discernment, which guides their choices and guards against deception. Because they demonstrate wisdom and godliness, the Lord enables them to impact others greatly. Since He knows they can be trusted, He also gives them greater responsibilities and opportunities for service in His kingdom.

With all this available to us, wouldn't it be wise to invest our time and energy in building the truth of God's Word into our lives? The other activities which clamor for our attention seem so important or pleasurable, but none of them can offer us the spiritual riches of a life grounded in truth.

Scattered Seed..Meg Bucher

 Scattered Seed

By Meg Bucher

“Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.” Matthew 13:7 NLT

The Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed tells the story of several different seeds and how the environment they were planted in and the way they were cared for determined the progress of their growth. It’s a smart and accurate comparison to our current lives and the way in which we decide to water the Word of God in them daily. This parable gives us great direction to follow, when determining to live our lives to the full, as Jesus died for. “The human heart is like receptive soil to the seed of the Word of God,” Greg Laurie explains, “The soil that the seed fell on represents four categories of the hearers’ hearts, four different reactions to the Word of God: the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and the fruitful heart.”

The Receptive Heart

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” James 1:19-21 NLT

Per his usual, James put it bluntly! Though we can’t control every thought which enters our minds, we do have a say on whether they stay. In Christ Jesus, we have the power to hold our thoughts accountable to the Word of God. In doing so, we test what is good and what is not. When we seek God, we find Him!

Unfortunately, we are very distractible! Fostering a receptive heart to God’s Word is an active discipline. Scripture tells us to pray all of the time! Any parent who has ever gotten up from their quiet time with the Lord to lose patience with their child understands! The moment we allow our minds to drift from Him, we allow distraction an audience. Fix our minds on Christ Jesus, the Bible says, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. We will never get it right and are not expected to! Jesus would not have had to die sacrificially for our sins if we were able to keep from sinning. But, living in a world cursed by sin means we constantly have to check our hearts, clear them by confession, and by the strength of the Spirit in us travel down the road of redemption. Such faith requires perseverance! But in Christ, it’s possible! 

Intersecting Faith and Life:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.” - Matthew 13:24-26 NLT

Everyday life contains challenges in discernment, trying to establish what is good and what is evil. There is very real evil in the world. The destruction, injustice, and hatred is evident. The greed grows and self becomes more prominent than neighbor. Jesus, in His parable, assures us we will live alongside good and evil. Sometimes it will be obvious, other times it will be hard to tell the difference. 

The truth of the Word of God helps us recognize the lies and embrace the love and light of Christ Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the living Word of God. In Him, we are able to see with an advantage. But even then, we will not always be able to understand everything we aim to, nor find answers to all we seek. One thing we can always do …follow Jesus. He will always lead us in truth and light. He is living water. When we are thirsty for answers or direction, wisdom or comfort, we can turn to Him who is the only One able to quench our desire for knowledge, fulfillment, and love. Our self-worth is found in Christ, alone.

One day, truth will be separated from lies. “Let both grow together until the harvest,” the parable continues, “Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, burn them, and put the wheat into the barn.” We, children of God, are the wheat. Our hope is in Christ, alone. We hold tightly to the Truth, persevere and remain laser-focused on Him until the day He returns to right every wrong. 

Further Reading:

• Matthew 13:33-35
• Mark 4:1-20
• Ephesians 1:18

Do Not Be a Half-Hearted Christian..Greg Laurie

 Do Not Be a Half-Hearted Christian.

By Greg Laurie

We all will leave a legacy of sorts – either a positive one or a negative one. Our lives eventually will come to an end, and each of us will leave a legacy. The truth will come out – the good things we did, the bad things we did, what we really stood for.

We may live long, productive lives and, like Caleb of the Old Testament, be able to look back after 85 years and say that we finished well.

Caleb, Joshua and the Israelites had come into the Promised Land after 40 years of wilderness wandering. Caleb had been promised a portion of the land, and he asked for what he had been assured of earlier. He said to Joshua:

“Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’” (Joshua 14:6–9 NLT)

Notice an important phrase: “You wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.” It simply means that Caleb wasn’t a halfhearted person.

I think we have a lot of halfhearted people filling the pews of churches today. They want to give the bare minimum to the One who gave everything for them. If you try to live as a Christian but live as you please, you will find conflict. Some people have too much of the Lord to be happy in this world, and too much of this world to be happy in the Lord. They’re living in a miserable no-man’s-land.

I became a Christian at the age of 17. I had been out in the world for 17 years, and I think I had more than my share of it. I was raised in an alcoholic home where my mom was married and divorced seven times. For a time I got into drinking and partying. It was all I had ever known up to that point in my life. I had never gone to church to speak of, except for a while when I lived with my grandparents. I knew nothing of the things of God. I had been raised in this world, and I saw it for what it was.

Even at 17, I was already sick of the way my life was going. I was in search mode, convinced there had to be more than this. I was disillusioned by the adult world I saw. I realized they didn’t have the answers. And I didn’t like the way my generation was going and what we were chasing after. I knew we didn’t have the answers, either.

Then I heard the Gospel. I heard about Jesus Christ, who calls us to follow him. I responded and gave my heart to the Lord. I started going to a Bible study where I met some halfhearted Christians who wanted to play with the world and still be Christians. That made no sense to me. I had been there and done that. I knew how empty and futile it was. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could know the forgiveness of God and still want to dabble with this world. I thought, “Why bother?” I’d had enough of it to get my fill.

I hope you don’t have to learn this the hard way. You can take God’s word for it. He tells you to stay away from certain things for your own good. Or you can say, “What does God know? What does anyone else know? I’ll do it my way.” And then you can face the consequences of that decision.

Caleb referred to an important place: Kadesh-barnea. This may not mean a lot to us, but it’s a key point in Caleb’s story. Forty-five years earlier, Caleb, Moses and Joshua, along with the children of Israel, came to the edge of the Promised Land. The point of entry was Kadesh-barnea. They had quickly made the trek from Egypt and were poised to enter the land.

It doesn’t take 40 years to get there from Egypt, however. They were going in circles. Why did it take them so long? Here’s why: When they arrived at Kadesh-barnea, they decided to send in some spies. They chose 12 men to go in, see what was going on, and then return with their report.

They probably should have just gone into Canaan and believed the Lord. He had promised he would watch out for them and bless them and get them through. But instead they sent in spies.

After a time in the land, the spies came back. The majority of 10 effectively said, “You don’t want to go into that place. Everything in this land is big. The walls are big. The cities are big. The soldiers are big. We were like grasshoppers in their sight. There are giants in the land.”

Caleb and Joshua, however, returned with a minority report. They brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it took the two of them to carry it. The people were angry with Joshua and Caleb for daring to suggest they continue into the land. They actually wanted to kill them.

If you want to finish well and wholeheartedly follow God, then you won’t compromise but instead stand your ground. You will be more concerned with the approval of God than the approval of people.

It would have been so easy for Caleb and Joshua to go along with the crowd. Everyone was saying it, but they knew it was wrong. They stood their ground at the risk of being personally ostracized and losing their friends – and even their lives.

Think of how many people today are held back spiritually because they are so concerned with the opinions of others.

Don’t lead a half-hearted life. Make sure that every day counts. You don’t want to waste a single moment.

A Prayer to Throw Off Worldly Distractions..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer to Throw Off Worldly Distractions 

By Emily Rose Massey

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV). 

At the beginning of a new year, so many of us often set lofty goals that we want to pursue. Some common ones are: lose weight, exercise more, read a certain number of books, get out of debt, eat healthier, travel more, learn a new skill or hobby, or drink more water. 

All those goals or resolutions are quite admirable, and many can be achieved and maintained if one sets their mind to work hard and stay committed and focused to keep chasing after the lifestyle shift and goal ahead of them. Unfortunately, after the excitement of the fresh new year wains, many people get discouraged and distracted and soon enough, they quickly throw in the towel and stop running toward their goal. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions actually stayed committed to the endeavor of pursuing to completion of their resolution or change of lifestyle. That means over half of the people who set a goal for the new year will fail! The study also involved people who did not make a New Year’s resolution but set out to achieve a simple goal- only 4% of those people were successful at achieving their goals. The question that needs to be raised is: what got in the way of the pursuit? 

Considering our Christian journey is far more important than mere earthly plans, I cannot help but apply this situation to spiritual pursuits, our spiritual race. How often do we set our hearts at running the race set before us-towards pursuing more of Christ and the knowledge of Him- and become distracted, discouraged, and entangled in worldly temptations that pull us away from Him? I know for me, the distractions around me sometimes feel inescapable and overwhelming. But we have inspiration…we have a model to look to - Christ!

In chapter 12 of the book of Hebrews we see an encouragement regarding our Christian race that we need to fix our gaze upon Christ because He is our example:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV).

Jesus is not only our example on this Christian pilgrimage, but He is also the One who endows us with the power and grace to keep running our race and to finish well. We are able to keep pressing forward, casting off distractions, discouragements, and disappointment because He is the One who is faithful to complete the work that He began in us. This doesn’t mean that we are free of responsibility for our race. We often determine the pace at which we are running. What has slowed you down on your Christian journey? Are you looking backward? Have you been caught in the trap of sin that has stolen your zeal for Jesus? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves. Hebrews 12:1-2 commands us to lay aside every weight and snare and to fix our eyes on Jesus, knowing that He loved us so much that He endured the cross to purchase our freedom from sin. That should be enough motivation for us to keep running after Him and glorify Him with our life. Worldly temptations, distractions, and discouragements will inevitably come, but we do not have to be ensnared by them and give up on pursuing God. Let us make a commitment this new year to lay it all aside to run after the Lord and the things of His Kingdom like never before. 

Let’s pray:

Father God, 

I have such a desire to pursue You and grow in the knowledge of You, but I feel surrounded by so many distractions and temptations that keep me from being faithful on my Christian journey. I repent for allowing myself to be ensnared by sin that does not satisfy. You are the only One who can truly satisfy my soul. Help me to cast off all things that would entangle me and keep me from running the race set before me with fervor. Please give me wisdom on how I can limit my distractions and set boundaries in my life so that I can prioritize spiritual things. I find my hope in You and trust Your joy will keep my heart from growing discouraged. I fix my gaze upon You, Jesus. Thank You for Your faithfulness, for Your nearness, and for Your Holy Spirit that empowers me to say no to distraction and stay focused on Kingdom matters. In Jesus’ name, amen.