Persevere
The parable of the four soils in Luke 8:4-15 centres in the need to hear ‘the word in an honest and good heart and hold it fast and bear fruit with perseverance’ (v.14). Three of the four soils illustrate what can hinder it being received.
God has chosen to communicate with us through His word. We hear that word in the Bible. God’s word has within it the ability to change us. So if we receive God’s word in a right heart we are fulfilling the first of His conditions here for change – hearing the word in an honest and good heart.
This presupposes we are hearing, or in our case, reading the Scriptures. We eat everyday and so should read the Bible everyday. Building a regular habit of daily Bible reading is probably the most important, single spiritual discipline we can ever build into our lives .
A second condition is that we ‘hold it fast and bear fruit with perseverance.’ Reading the Bible allows God to present His word to us. Now we have to hold on to it. The Christian who ‘bears fruit’ has learnt to persevere. The original word used here for ‘perseverance’ means to endure while under pressure. God will test us in this. Will we believe what He says about our circumstances even when what He says seems wrong or strange?
Change takes time. But change will come for the Christian who hears ‘the word in an honest and good heart and holds it fast and bear fruit with perseverance’.
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