But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

What does it take to produce a good crop, like wheat, for instance?  There is tilling the soil, making the furrows, fertilizing, planting the seed, watering (or praying for rain if you are dry-land farming), weed control, picking the perfect day for harvesting, making sure the equipment is ready, hiring your harvest crew, and planning for crop storage that is safe and will protect the crop from damage.

Jesus picked a perfect analogy for the process of reaching people for God.  It takes great perseverace to be a farmer. Sometimes, it takes great perseverance to be a soul winner.  There are some people we invest in for years in the hope we may win them to Christ – this takes great perseverance.  We plant the seed (the Word of God), and we trust God for the harvest.