“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath” (Mark 4:23-25).
Jesus explains in this passage that what we hear determines the kind of fruit we bear in our lives. In the parable of the sower, found earlier in this chapter, the “wayside” person quits hearing the Word, and the thief comes and steals it away.
The “stony ground” person quits hearing the Word when persecutions and afflictions come. The third person begins by hearing the Word, but the thorns of this life—the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things—enter in and choke the Word, making it unfruitful.
Too often, people listen to the wrong things, meditate on the wrong things and feed on the wrong things. Jesus said, “Take heed what you hear.” The Amplified Bible makes verse twenty-four even clearer:
“And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.”
I don’t know about you, but I want to live on the “more besides” side of life! We decide whether we live on the “barely-getting-along” side or on the “more besides” side.
But notice this: Jesus says, “More [besides] will be given to you who hear.” Will more be given to those who beg and plead or to those who pray all the time? No. Although it’s important to pray, prayer will do no good unless we are doing what Jesus tells us to do. “More besides” will be given to us only when we set ourselves to hear the truth of God’s Word.
I continually hear God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit constantly
adds to my knowledge and understanding. “More besides” is
given to me in every area of my life as I hear and obey God’s Word!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
For over 40 years, Pastors Mark and Janet Brazee have traveled throughout the world sharing the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Together they've shared the powerful truths of faith and healing in more than 50 nations.
Today Mark and Janet pastor World Outreach Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they base their ongoing outreach to the world. The Brazees still travel as the Lord leads, and they are raising up a congregation who share their passion to reach Tulsa and the world.