REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor David Kwon who heads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, was first posted on June 8, 2014.  He is a graduate of Drexel University (BS) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend 

“What Kind of Heart Do You Have?”

Matthew 13:18-23

“Hear then the parable of the sower: [19] When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. [20] As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, [21] yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. [22] As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. [23] 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.”

 “We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.”   -John Stott

Maturing in Christ is actually not a complicated process. It does not require an extraordinary amount of skill nor knowledge. But by the regular use of the means of grace, such as prayer and the study of Scripture, it helps us become more like Jesus. 

This parable is challenging because Jesus is describing how the Word is received in the hearts of people.  He points out the various types of hearts: the hard heart (the Word never has a chance to grow); the shallow heart (this type of heart receives the Word with joy for awhile, but is choked out when trials come); and lastly, the divided heart (the Word grows for awhile, but then is choked out because of pleasure and riches).  It is only the last type of heart – the good heart- that actually bears fruit and transforms our lives.

What kind of heart describes you?  Have you seen the Word of God yield fruit (transformation) in your life these days?  As we receive the Word in our own personal QT’s and from our respective churches, ask the Lord that all hindrances and distractions would be cast away and that the Word would yield a great crop in our daily lives.  Amen.  

Prayer: Dear God, help me to have a soft heart that readily receives your Word.  Help me to reject a hard and divided heart so that the seed sown in my heart may produce abundant fruits.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 44