Yesterday I pointed out the vital importance of holding on to the Word of God when discouragement or disappointment or any kind of life’s complications come along—because they will come! If the Word of God is going to have any kind of lasting effect in our lives, we must make sure that it is planted into good soil that will be watered and nurtured by the fruit of patience to keep holding on to the promises of God. Otherwise, we will be like those spoken of by Jesus in Mark 4:16, 17: “The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.”

Many believers hear something from God’s Word, and in their hearts they want to walk in it; but the Word is not able to take root because the fruit of patience, which is necessary if that seed is going to abide in their hearts long enough to grow into maturity and produce fruit, is not developed in them. However, those who put forth the effort to KEEP the Word that they hear will cultivate the fruit of patience, which in turn will help them keep even more of the Word. EFFORT is something that takes work and Patience; however, if something is too hard or takes too long, many people would just rather take an easier path or choose to stay in an immature superficial spiritual condition. I have learned a few “secrets” to abiding (which is another word for “keeping” or “standing”) in the Word. One of the best ways to get the Word of God into good soil is to read, study, and meditate on it DAILY. Another way is to memorize scriptures on a consistent basis. I also have a stack of 52 Bible promises that I refer to, according to the need that I have. For example, one of the Bible promises I hold on to is found in Proverbs 4:21-22 which says in reference to paying attention to the words spoken by Wisdom (God’s Word), “Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”

In the Old Testament, God told Adam to “keep” the garden: Genesis 2:15 says, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” The word for keep in the Hebrew has the same meaning as the word used for keep in the Greek in Luke 8:15 when Jesus warned His followers to keep (the Word), and bring forth fruit with patience. When you “keep” a garden, you take care of it in such a way that it stays beautiful and fresh; it is cultivated and encouraged to grow by your diligence in keeping it healthy and alive. We do the same thing when we “keep” God’s Word. We treasure it and patiently plant it deep into our hearts so that it will bear fruit in our lives. Luke 8:15 says, “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.”

Join Us Every Sunday Morning at 11:00 AM. If you are searching for a Christian church in the Fresno or Clovis, CA, area, I would like to encourage you to join our Bible Study and Worship group. It’s a time when we worship, study the Word, and fellowship with others from our community. Contact us at www.vtabernacle.com to learn more.