Hey there, fellow green-thumbed believers!
Today, we’re going to talk about how to get our spiritual gardens in tip-top shape. No, we’re not talking about planting actual flowers or vegetables (though that’s cool too). We’re talking about planting the Word of God in our hearts. James 1:19-21 tells us:
19…be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21So 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)
So, how can we make sure our hearts are fertile soil for God’s Word to take root and flourish?
First, let’s embrace a humble and teachable spirit, especially during trials and hard times. Being quick to listen means we should be open to what God has to say through His Word, even if it challenges our preconceived ideas or beliefs. Then we must also be slow to speak, taking the time to process and understand what we’re reading before jumping to conclusions or giving our own opinions. Being slow to become angry is crucial too. It’s easy to let emotions get the best of us when we’re going through tough times, but allowing anger to take over only hardens our hearts and prevents God’s Word from taking root. So, let’s strive to maintain a calm and humble disposition, even when life’s challenges make it difficult.
Next, let’s clear out the weeds. You know, those pesky thoughts, attitudes, and distractions that can choke out the Word and prevent it from taking root. This might mean turning off our phones, finding a quiet place to read, or even addressing unresolved sins in our lives. For me, I learned the principle of “weeding before seeding” when I realize that unless I went to bed early, I will have no hope of getting up early to spend time with God. Whatever it takes, let’s be intentional about creating an environment where God’s Word can thrive.
Finally, let’s water our spiritual gardens with prayer and meditation. Don’t just read the Word and move on. Take time to ponder what you’ve read, asking God to help you understand and apply it to your life. The more we nurture our relationship with God through prayer and reflection, the deeper the Word will take root in our hearts.
So, fellow gardeners, let’s get to work on planting the Word in our hearts and watch as it produces a beautiful harvest of righteousness. And remember, a little spiritual gardening goes a long way in cultivating a vibrant, fruitful faith.
How can you make your heart more receptive to God’s Word to face trials and hard times?
I believe we can make our hearts more receptive to God’s Word by filtering out all of the stuff that contends with God’s Word in our hearts. Like verse 21 states, we need to get rid of the filth and evil. It’s like when a person exercises but doesn’t eat healthy, there is only so much change that can occur but it is only when we dial in all of the inputs and filter out the bad that we truly see change. I also believe that continual soaking in God’s Word through reading, worship music and prayer also help in making our hearts more receptive.
One thing I remember clearly is my college pastor emphasizing the importance of prayer before reading God’s Word. For God is the one to open our eyes, minds and hearts to receive and for understanding.
As for the plant to bear good fruit weed must be pulled out and pruned regularly. So to make my heart more receptive to God’s word I want to weed out unnecessary phone usage and go to bed earlier for morning devotions. And come to God humbly, seek His face, repenting of my sins, pausing, meditate, listen to the Holy Sprite, and memorizing scripture.
“How can you make your heart more receptive to God’s Word to face trials and hard times?” The heart in the passage here is likened to that of a garden. And, like a garden, the heart needs to be prepared and maintained in such a way so that it can receive God’s word and grow. In order to prepare our hearts to be more receptive of God’s word it needs to be cleared of any weeds or rocks that will hinder growth or prevent room for God’s word to take root in. For me, these weeds take root in my heart in the form of unresolved sin, as mentioned in the devotional. Key word here is “unresolved” as it reminded me that just because a sin gets ignored or left untouched doesn’t mean that it goes away. Sooner or later it needs to be addressed, otherwise like a weed it will grow undetected until it becomes a problem again. So, for my heart, I need prepare it to receive God’s word, but I also need to maintain it as, like a garden, there will always be weeds that will sprout up when I least expect it and will require constant attention.
(from Diesel)
Repentance – humbling ourselves and accepting the word of God for our hearts. Verse 19 shows an area in which I lack a lot of. Although I’m set at listening, my speaking and anger needs to slow down. The first step before getting rid of filth and evil; I’m already messing it up. It’s hard to listen at times when the things you listen to promotes anger and judgement – and you just want to defend yourself through your speaking. I want to humbly ask God to slow it down because it’s the step that’s pinning me down and keeping me from becoming holy with God.
I can make my heart more receptive to God’s word by focusing my time & energy into spending intentional, quality time with Him. Being intentional with studying His word, surrounding myself with community, and praying to Him to integrate my life daily.