The responsiveness of our hearts to God
As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the Word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty (Matthew 13:23 ESV)
Our hearts are in a state of responsiveness to God at any point in time. Responsiveness to God is the degree to which we understand things about Him, believe His Word, and obey what He commands us to do. There are different degrees of responsiveness, from good to bad. The good extreme is called a “good heart” or “good ground,” as in the parable of the sower above. The bad extreme is called a hardened or stony heart. This is a heart that does not understand spiritual things, would not believe them or is not obedient to what God says.
In my study of the Word and my personal experience, I have come to realize that it takes the Spirit of God to soften our hearts and make it responsive to God. For example, it takes the Spirit for an unbeliever to accept that Jesus is the Savior; otherwise, they will think it is all foolishness.
The responsiveness of our heart can vary over time. The most astonishing thing I found is that the further away we are from God from a practical perspective, the harder our hearts become as believers. The closer you get, the softer your heart becomes. You know the degree of responsiveness of your heart right now. You can tell by how easy it is for you to understand spiritual things, believe them, or obey God.
MEDITATE
What is the current state of your heart? Think about this in light of the scripture and the devotional piece above.
APPLY THE WORD
The Spirit softens our hearts by the water of the Word just as rain softens the hardened ground. Be on guard, and not allow your heart to become hardened slowly. Stay close, and remain responsive.
PRAY
Ask the Spirit to help you always be responsive to Him at all times.
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