'Prepare Your Heart To Consult God's Word'
The figurative heart can be likened to soil in which the seed of the truth can be planted. (Matthew 13:19-23) Literal soil is usually cultivated to ensure the healthy growth of the crop. Similarly, the heart should be prepared, or made ready, so that it is more receptive to the Word of God. Ezra the priest "prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah and to do it." (Ezra 7:10) How may we prepare our heart?
An excellent preparation of the heart when we consult God's Word is hearfelt prayer. Christian meeetings of true worshipers open and close with prayer. How appropriate that we begin each period of personal Bible study with a sincere prayer and then maintain a prayerful attitude during our study!
The figurative heart must be prepared to set aside preconceived opinions. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were unwilling to do this. (Matthew 13:15) On the other hand, Jesus' mother, Mary, drew conclusions "in her heart" based on truths that she had heard. (Luke 2:19, 51) She became a faithful disciple of Jesus. Lydia of Thyatira listened to Paul, "and Jehovah opened her heart wide to pay attention." She too became a believer. (Acts 16:14, 15) May we never rigidly hold to personal ideas or cherished doctrinal views. Rather, let us be willing to "let God be found true, though every man found a liar."- Romans 3:4.
Preparing the heart to listen at Christian meetings particularly important. Distractions may turn our attentions away from what is being said. The spoken words can exert little influence on us if we are preoccupied with things that happpened during the day or are concerned about what is awaiting us tomorrow. We need to be firmly resolved to listen and learn if we are to benefit from what is being said. What benefits can we receive if we are determined to understand the scriptures being expounded and the meaning that is being put into them! - Nehemiah 8:5-8, 12.
Just as adding the proper supplements may enhance the physical soil, so our cultivatiing humility, hunger for spirituality, trust, godly fear, and love for God can enrich our figurative heart. Humility softens the heart helping us to become more teachable . Jehovah said to Judean King Josiah: " For the reason that your heart was soft so that you humbled yourself because of Jehovah at your hearing what I have spoken....and began weeping before me, I, even I, have heard." (2Kings 22:19) Josiah's heart was humble and receptive. Humility enabled Jesus' unlettered and ordinary" disciples to grasp and apply spiritual truths that escaped "wise and intellectual" men. (Acts 4:13; Luke 10:21) May we "humble ourselves before God" as we try to acquire a heart agreeable to Jehovah. - Ezra 8:21.

Next time: Continue this subject.