Fruit of a Beautiful Heart

Reading: Luke 8: 4-15

What does a beautiful, honest heart look like?
In the Parable of the Sower Jesus shows us what a good honest heart is not. It is not hard, trampled or left unattended. It is not shallow or distracted. It is not crowded choked by thorny issues. Then He shows us what a beautiful honest heart looks like. It is the fertile ground of  

"honest good hearted people who hear God's word, 

cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest!" 

Luke 8:15 NLT 

What is the harvest? What is the fruit? What does it look like in our life? Jesus shows us in the beatitudes, which we will get to in a few weeks. Paul also shows us what the fruit of a Holy Spirit led life looks like:

"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control... 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sin nature 

with its passions and desires..." 

Galatians 5:22-24 NIV  

"Be kind... tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 

even as God in Christ forgave you." Eph. 4:31,32 NKJ
 

"...as the elect of God, holy and beloved,

put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, 

bearing with one another and forgiving..." 

Colossians 3:12 NKJ

Oh Lord help us to break up the fallow ground of our hearts, that we may hear, and understand Your word to us... that we may cling to it with patience and in due time harvest a huge crop of beautiful fruit.

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked; 

for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, 
from that nature will reap destruction; 

the one who sows to please the Spirit, 

from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, 

for in due season we will reap a harvest 

if we do not lose heart and give up." 

Gal. 6:7-9 NIV/NKJ  

God has a due season for all the seeds we plant. His time table may be a quick return, but sometimes it may take years or even a lifetime. Realize three things: God's harvest will come, it will not return empty, but will accomplish what He pleases. Isa 55:10,11 God is never early or late - He is right on time with our best interests at heart. He makes everything beautiful in His time. Ecc 3:11 Our harvest will have the same nature as the seeds we sow. Good seeds bring good harvest, bad seeds bring bad harvests. Gal. 6:7-9

"the seeds that fell on good soil 
represent honest good hearted people 

who hear God's word, cling to it, 
and patiently produce a huge harvest!" 

Luke 8:15 NLT

Listen to God's word, cling to it and you will patiently produce a huge harvest. God's harvest will come so do not grow weary or lose heart.