I have written about our hearts on more than one occasion, but due to the importance of the subject it is worth revisiting. After all, according to Paul it is the organ of faith.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10 (NKJV)
Paul also noted that our faith is activated by hearing.
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
Thus, what we hear affects our beliefs. Paul isn’t expressing a formula here; he is echoing what Jesus taught. After all, not everyone who heard Paul preach and teach responded with faith. However, his sharing of the gospel opened the door to an expression of faith. The importance of the heart in this process is why Solomon wrote the following.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)
Due to its importance in our lives we are all called to guard our hearts. The Hebrew word translated as ‘keep’ in the NKJV is translated as ‘watch’ or ‘guard’ in other versions. All three options carry the idea of being alert and paying attention to the condition of our hearts. Jesus pointed to our heart as our ‘vault of values’ our capacity to treasure things, either things of this life or the things of the Spirit.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)
Which now leads us to the parable of the sower. It is found in Matthew 14, Mark 4 and Luke 8. In Mark 4:13 Jesus in essence said understanding the principle of sowing and reaping was foundational to understanding His other parables. Now we have the parable both given and explained by Jesus so there is no mystery. The seed is God’s word and the soil is the condition of our heart. Luke recorded it this way.
15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:15
Our fruit bearing capacity is tied to the exercise of patience and having a ‘noble and good heart.’
The obvious need is to understand what having a noble and good heart entails. If we look at how people responded to Jesus, we see Nicodemus coming with questions in John 3. He came with honest questions, a noble and good heart. In John 12 we see Mary coming and anointing Jesus with precious perfume and wiping His feet with her hair, a noble and good heart. In Luke 19 we see Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, repenting of his sins in response to Jesus, a noble and good heart. The commonality among the three stories is a willingness to lay down their agendas and ideas and submit to Jesus’ presence.
For more specific instructions on how to develop and maintain a noble and good heart we have clear instructions in Proverbs 4.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:24–27 (NKJV)
Solomon tells us to walk in integrity, speak the truth, keep focused on the right things and pay attention to the general direction of our life and avoid evil. Given that, how’s your heart?
