There are four types of hearts as explained by Jesus when He explained the parable of the sower in Mark chapter 4:
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.
18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
It is critical to embrace this explanation for Jesus said to understand all the parables, you must understand this parable. The issue is not the seed or The Word. FATHER’S Divine Intent will express itself in It’s fullness if allowed to when entering a man’s heart. The issue is “us”!
Some will have a wayside heart which has been trodden down and the soil is packed thus not allow the seed to pierce the soil (the heart). They resist the Word and want to protect their status quo which at best is temporary in nature.
The second group has hearts of stony ground. This group is reluctant to be associated with Jesus Christ and His teachings. They are more comfortable conforming to the world’s idols and views thus they have allowed their idols of stone to take up space in their hearts. The Word has little or no space to form a root system and cannot endure.
The third group allows the Word to be sown but succumbs to cares, lusts, and deceitfulness of riches. These three areas of self-interest choke out the fruitfulness of the Word and cause the group to become hearers only.
The fourth and final group is made up of the ones who have protected their hearts from the world and have matured in the understanding and importance of maintaining a pure heart. They are no longer moved by what the world thinks but are trusting FATHER because they have received the revelation of HIS Agape Love for them. They have come to realize that the riches in Heaven are the only enduring riches thus they have no problem in being cheerful givers of their resources.
The Word of GOD is the seed and if we are in need of healing, we must plant the Word that addresses healing. If we are in need of finances, we must plant the appropriate Word addressing finances. Each seed produces after its own kind. Our faith in a particular area depends on which seed we plant into our hearts. The most important seed is Agape Love and if you plant and water that seed, you will ultimately produce a well-balanced garden. It will produce the greatest harvest because it makes the ground more fertile than any other crop.
There are many who hear The Word but produce little or no fruit. They are found in the first three categories and end up relying on others and “eat” of their fruit. Their priorities are focused elsewhere, usually on the temporal things of this world. I can say from personal experience that it takes commitment to be in this fourth group. One must establish The Word as his or her highest priority. Jesus has given us the key to being fruitful but it requires sustained commitment on our part. Faith comes by hearing The Word and without faith it is impossible to please FATHER.
You may now appreciate why it is important for me to write with the frequency I do for I am planting The Word in me as I write to you.