Listening and Applying the Word

 Ezra 2-3; Luke 8

“…the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop…My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Luke 8:15, 21

Spiritual maturity and growth don’t just happen. They develop through disciplines and attitudes that value what God values. Spiritual growth and fruit in our lives are connected with listening to the Word, not merely reading it. To listen to God’s Word with our hearts, we must be attentive to the Holy Spirit. Hearing is then combined with holding onto that Word, or retaining it. We write down and reflect, we memorize, and we meditate on God’s Word to us. ‘Holding on’ must be combined with ‘hanging in there’, or persevering, in the application of God’s Word, even when we don’t see immediate results. Hearing, holding on, and hanging in there are the marks of an attentive, Word-centered, Spirit-led, fruitful life in Christ’s kingdom.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking through your Word and Spirit. I desire to be growing and applying what I hear today, for your glory.”