“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” James 1:19-21
By now, you probably are well aware that my thumbs and fingers are not green like many others within my lineage. I got a few peppers, a tomato and cucumber plant on my deck. They are clinging to life and seem to shudder when I approach them with a container full of water. Any gardener will tell you that you can take the exact same seed and plant it in three different locations and get three different results. I have heard this before. My mom always said that the reason Aunt Esther’s garden was so plentiful was because of the well water in Utica, NE. One time while visiting her, mom had me sneak out a five gallon container of water from her cistern in Utica. I don’t recall the result of that covert mission.
In one spot, you may get giant tomatoes. In another, you may get small tomatoes. And in a third, you may not get anything at all. What’s the difference? Water from Utica? It’s not the seed; it’s the soil. The soil must be prepared for the seed. Or so they say. The same is true when you hear God’s Word. Your heart has to be prepared for the Word.
Church service is a great example of this. If you get up late, have trouble finding a parking spot, and are irritated as you rush by the greeter and head into church, you’re probably not going to hear God’s voice! Your heart is not prepared to receive God’s Word. Has that ever happened to you?
That’s why two people may go to the same church service, sit side by side, and hear the same Scripture read and sermon preached. One will walk out thinking God really spoke to them, and the other won’t get anything at all out of the service. The heart of one person was prepared; the other’s heart wasn’t. Scripture teaches us that, for your heart to be prepared to receive God’s Word, you need to have four attitudes. First, be quiet; put aside the distractions. Next, be calm; don’t let your mind rush God. If you’re frantic and putting words in the pasto’rs message, you’re not going to hear Him. Third, be clean. Before you can meet with God, you need to confess your sin to Him and ask Him to forgive you.
And last, be humble. Be ready to do whatever God tells you from His Word. A prideful attitude won’t work. Next time you’re going to spend time in God’s Word; whether that’s at church or in your quiet time at home, take time first to prepare your heart. You are being nurtured in His garden to produce a full harvest of work in His world.
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay