Jesus was teaching us that we each have an active role in cultivating our hearts, our soil ("hold it [the seed, or Word of God] fast"), so that we might bear fruit for our Father God.
You have to conclude that the conditions of our hearts as we go through life are not completely dependent upon God. Otherwise, we would have been perfected from the outset being faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and withstand all efforts of the evil one to sabotage the will of God.
Rather, He began the process by preparing the soil and designed life so that we must expend some effort to nurture and cultivate our hearts in all areas.
Some Scriptures that help us see this:
- Proverbs 23:7 says, "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (KJV).
- Proverbs 17:20 says, "A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble." (NIV-84)
- Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and is desperately wicked; who can know it?" (NKJV)
- Jesus added, "From within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts ..." (Mark 7:21). (NASB)
- "Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). (NASB)
- "And, the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 (NASB)
The latter verse is sandwiched inside the well-known passage Phil 4:6-8: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God ... v7 ... Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." (NASB)
Verse 7 describes the miracle that transpires. In verses 6 and 8, Paul tell us how our hearts can be cultivated and peace gained. That is, through prayer and with God's grace.
He then gives us a life principle by telling us to focus our minds not on what is ungodly, but on what is righteous. From my experience, that kind of focus helps keep my thorns and weeds in check and under control. It's almost like "The Power of Biblically-Positive Thinking."
