Sow the Word of God

Day 251

Reading: Mark 1:1 - Mark 4:41

The gospel of Mark is a short narrative that displays the power and principles of the Kingdom of God. As you read through the Book of Mark you will discover that Mark's desire was to provide the reader with faith building miracles that remove any doubt of the authenticity of Jesus. While reading today's passages I felt a need to dwell on one of the parables Jesus taught.

The parable of the Sower reveals to us the relationship between the heart, the external and internal factors that affect us as we study the Word. I have read the parable many times however after reading the Word, this parable kept playing on my mind. I began to ask myself what is it that God desires I learn about this parable? What is God saying to me?  Jesus in the parable mentioned 4 types of ground that receives the Word. As I meditated on this I realised that many times I have always looked and seen them as four different grounds however God had something different for me to learn this time. The four grounds are four different heart positions that we continually face.

The seed, which is the Word, falls on the ground and satan quickly takes it away if the heart of the person who hears the Word but before acting on it loses it. This is what happens to many who hear the call of salvation but don't respond. The word of salvation sown in their lives is lost because the enemy will fight to ensure the Word doesn't take root. Even today, my dear friend, you may hear a Word and before you know it the enemy steals it causing it not to take root. As I thought about this God reminded me the many times He has told me something and I doubted if it's His voice and suddenly I had lost what was being sown in my heart. You and I have to constantly fight the enemy to ensure we receive the Word of God.

The second stage is where one receives the Word and it grows but doesn't take root. If you plant maize seed on concrete you will discover they don't germinate well. This is what happens when we don't allow the Word to take root properly. When you are hardhearted the Word cannot be grounded as it ought to be. When one is not rooted properly they are easily shaken by the winds of life and in the process lose a hold of the Word of faith. Many times this is what happens to us when we face challenges. We lose a hold of the Word that we know and suddenly we become prey for the enemy.  As part of growth, we need to beware of the enemy's desire to sift us thus moving us away from the implanted Word. We need to learn the benefits of spending time thinking upon the Word to enable it to take root in our lives. Just reading the Word and not taking thought of it will lead to one not being rooted and grounded in the Word. One matures as we learn to become tenderhearted to learn and obey His Word. When one is hardhearted they struggle with obedience to the Word. 

Thirdly, when you receive the Word be careful that your desires or pursuits don't quench the Word of God. Jesus in Matthew encouraged every believer to seek first the Kingdom and God's righteousness. Many times in our pursuit for a better life we forget to place God first. When we seek the things of this world much more than we seek God then we are candidates of finding out that God's word has no place and it is stifled. Today we find many have their faith stifled and the issue is that they were on fire for God but because of chasing for the things and pleasures of this world the Word within became quenched and died. Examine yourself and see where your heart is. Is your love for God's Word on fire or has life blown the embers of God's Word cold? When you struggle to obey God's Word because of your pursuit of the things of this world then you are on the path to being stifled in your walk with God.

A heart that embraces the Word imbibes the Word and yearns for the Word continually will soon see fruit. The fruit of God's Word is that our lives soon become the expression of God. Isaiah declared that God's Word doesn't return void Isaiah 55:10-11. A heart that is good ground will see the Word bear fruit. God has blessed us to be fruitful and unless we plant the Word of God in our lives we won't receive a harvest from God. 

What must I do to imbibe the Word of God? Apart from reading the Word one must obey the Word and meditate on the Word. Obedience ensures we maintain a tenderness and fire for the Word. When we meditate on the Word we challenge our inner thought process with the Word. Meditation on the Word of God disrupts the conditioning of the mind that has grown up in the ways of the world and not the Word.

Memory Verse: Mark 1:35

Decree:

Mark 4:22

For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. (italics mine)