Luke 8:18
“Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
One would think that there is nothing that could hinder the effectiveness of God’s Word. The power of God’s Word is amazing when you consider Hebrews 4:12 when it says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The power that is in God’s Word is so powerful that it is like dynamite, and yet God says that there are some things that hinder It’s effectiveness.
Jesus taught a parable to show what hinders the effectiveness of His Word. He talked about a person who went to sow seed, and the seed fell on different types of soil. The effectiveness of that seed was determined by the ground on which it fell. That seed is the Word of God and the ground upon which It falls is your heart. The effectiveness of God’s Word in your life will ultimately be determined by your heart.
The first thing that keeps God’s Word from being effective in one’s life is that they are not saved. I’m always amazed how people who didn’t understand God’s Word before they got saved immediately start understanding It after salvation. The reason is because they have the Holy Spirit inside to explain what God’s Word says. If you’re having difficulties understanding God’s Word, then you need to ask yourself if you’re truly saved. Salvation is the first step in allowing God’s Word to become effective in your life.
The second thing that keeps God’s Word from being effective in one’s life is not properly accepting the hardships of life. You must guard your heart from being hardened to God’s Word because of your trials. Everyone faces trials, but if trials cause you to become bitter, then God’s Word will not be able to do It’s work through you like God intended. Those who accept life’s trials as God’s tool to further His cause are those who find the help and strength they need from His Word.
The third thing that keeps God’s Word from being effective in one’s life are the “cares and riches and pleasures of this life.” In other words, when a person becomes wrapped up in worldly pleasures and possessions, it keeps God’s Word from being effective in their life. It is amazing how worldly pleasures and possessions will cause one not to enjoy reading the Word of God. The cares of this world have limited what God’s Word can do.
Friend, you ultimately determine how effective God’s Word is in your life. God’s Word can do a great work in your life if you will give your heart wholly to God. Don’t allow the pleasures of this world and the hardness of trials to keep God’s Word from working through your life. God’s Word is a powerful Book, and It will perform powerful works through the one who yields their body, soul and spirit to do whatever It commands. The person whose heart is tender and willing to do whatever God’s Word says is the person who will truly experience the effectiveness of God’s Word.