In Samuel, God promises David that, from his seed, He will establish a kingdom that shall endure forever. In Mark, Christ tells the parable of the sower. The seed is the Word of God. It is the same forever. Some hearts are overcome by Satan, some by persecution, some by anxieties and some are "good soil." The last ones hold firm and produce a bountiful harvest.

There are different ways of accepting God's word and they produce different kinds of fruit accordingly. There is the prejudiced hearer who has a closed mind. Such a person is unteachable and blind to what he or she doesn't want to hear. Then there is the shallow hearer. He or she fails to think things out or think them through; they lack depth. They may initially respond with an emotional reaction; but when it wears off their minds wonder to someting else. Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests or cares, but who lacks the ability to hear or comprehend what is truly important. Such a person is too busy to pray over God's word. Then there is the one whose mind is open. Such a person is at all times willing to listen and to learn. He or she is never too proud or too busy to learn. They listen in order to understand.

God gives grace to those who hunger for his Word that they may understand his will and have the strength to live according to it. Do you hunger for God's word?