I’ve had ups and downs in the Christian life and have experienced both the rich treasure of  diligence and the bitter fruit of neglect as it comes to paying attention to God’s Word. Jesus’ words from Mark 4 and Ryle’s comments encourage me to give my all to hearing, loving, and obeying God’s Word. I hope they do for you too.

The meaning of Jesus’ words in Mark 4:24–25 may not be immediately apparent to you, but your soul’s spiritual prosperity depends on living it out:

“Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

These words follow the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4:1-20 where Jesus stresses the importance of hearing the Word of God (Mark 4:9, 12, 16, 18, 20). In Mark 4:24–25, Jesus teaches that diligence in engaging God’s Word pays off big time and negligence will forfeit spiritual understanding. This is why Jesus often would say “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”—because some would treat the Word of God lightly (*cough cough Pharisees*), only to harden their hearts and continue in disbelief. May that never be said of us.

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