God's
people share His Word with anyone who will listen. These seeds fall on four
different types of hearts. It is our responsibility to witness, but God does
not hold us accountable for the other person's response.
We
sow, and God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7). Some hearts are like a
dry, earthen pathway and Satan easily steals away the seeds that we attempt to
plant. Other hearts are as hard as stone, and the seeds spring up, but the
roots are not deep, so the cares of life parch them.
Then
we have hearts that are overgrown with thorny underbrush, which crowds out the
new plants, and they produce no fruit at all. However, some hearts are fertile,
and ready to hear God's gospel of salvation, and they produce fruit (Mark 4:14-20).
If
our heart does not have room for the roots of the gospel to flourish, we cannot
bear fruit. Only in the fertile heart can the plant take hold and grow to full
maturity. An evangelical, Bible teaching church provides these hearts with a
perfect environment.
Many
churches are barren wastelands with nothing nutritious to offer the Believer.
They focus on providing glitz and glitter to attract people, and then they
supply only spiritual junk food, rather than wholesome provisions.
The
only way to withstand the winds of adversity or the scorching trials and
temptations we encounter on this earth is to have our roots sunk deeply into our
union with Jesus Christ who wants to abide within us and to walk with us
through life.
Prayer:
Father
God, once we receive Your Word with conviction and repentance, we are ready to
receive the proper nourishment. You raise up an army of teachers with every
generation - those who faithfully sow the seeds of the truth of Your Word. You cause
a hunger to blossom in our heart to search for and to find a disciple-making
church.
Provide
us with teachers who share Your Word after seeking You in prayer. Lead us to a
caring and loving fellowship of Believers. Even in these end times, we thank
You for keeping a remnant of these spiritual places where we can go and feast
upon Biblical principles and in turn bear much fruit for Your Kingdom.
Thought
for the Day:
A
true relationship with the Living and Holy God is not a one-time event or a
single prayer; it is a lifetime commitment that starts with a heart ready to
receive His Word of Truth and to walk in His ways by the power of His Spirit,
which guides us each moment of the day.
