But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. Luke 8:15, NASB

About three years ago, a friend gave me some fruit and vegetable seeds even though I have never gardened before and every house plant I have tried to grow has died. However, I thought that since she thought enough of me to share some of her seeds, I needed to do something with them.

So I planted and cared for them and am pleased to report that the fruit is visible! While the cucumbers and beans got sunburned and did not survive, the cilantro, kale, and Swiss chard grew well and were the first ready to harvest. Then I noticed some tomatoes and bell peppers in their fruiting growth stage. As I proudly looked at the fruits of my labor one day, it dawned on me that just as I have been planting and putting forth the effort to cultivate the seeds my friend gave me, the Lord wants us to do likewise with His Word that is sown into our lives.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes four ways people approach hearing the Word of God (Luke 8:4-15). Jesus encourages us to be the type of hearer (soil) of the Word of God (seed) that will cultivate what has been sown into our lives.

Just as I followed through and did something with the seed my friend gave me, God wants us to be responsible with His Word that is released to us. When we are intentional about applying the Word of God that we receive, we will ultimately see its fruit produced in our lives.

Getting to the point of seeing some fruit has taken a lot of experimenting—which brand of potting mix, sunlight versus grow lights, regular-size green plants versus microgreens. There have been a lot of mistakes made—overwatering and underwatering. There has also been some self-doubt—lack of knowledge and limited ability. But with the confidence my friend placed in me and the perseverance I put forth, growth is occurring in my garden. Likewise, when we remain consistent in applying the Word of God and persevere through the situations we encounter, the circumstances we face, and the not-so-good choices we make, we will see the manifestation of God’s Word in our lives.

Lord, we humbly seek Your wisdom and guidance in cultivating Your Word that has been sown in our lives. We eagerly anticipate the growth and transformation that will result from our perseverance in Your Word and we thank You in advance for the blessings that will manifest. Amen.

Copyright Dr. Shawna M. Dixon.

Shawna is a high school math teacher at an online public school in Texas. She is also a minister passionate about helping others grow in their faith through her website and other media platforms.