“And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred. And he said unto them, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:4-20.
Ask yourself, “How important is God's Word to me personally; what part does it play in my daily life?” His Word must be your final say, in what ever situation you are in. The parable that was just read, relates to how the Word is applied in people's life and the end result of the different dependency of each situations. Is your heart like the Roadside, where there is not much of a spiritual foundation in you? The end result from this, is that when the slightest problem comes your way, the written Word will have no real effect in you; so you can maintain and grown on. Like birds eating seeds off of the ground, God's Word vanishes from their spirit - leaving them with no foundation to stand upon.
Are you the Stony Ground? Where your heart has stored some of the Word, yet when things start getting tough, the Word in you starts to fall apart, having no effect - spiritually, you wither away, till the Word has no power in you to stand? Are you walking among the Thorns, where the Word is in you, but through the course of time you allow your trials to overcome you, taking your Hope from within? In your personal life, your troubles become your vocal point, thus, choking out the Truths and Promises of the written Word.
Think about these 3 different scenarios relating to your personal life. Do you fit in any of these situations? Your personal Peace and Confidence is depending on it. God has given you Eternal Life, but while you walk this Earth, you are suppose to walk in the Blessing that He has Promised you.
The last example Jesus gives in this parable is the one that He wishes for everyone to walk in; day by day. The Good Ground, is the ground that enables you to endure, until the break through comes. The Good Ground is established in the Promises of God; no matter what the trial or tribulation is, they endure; in Joy and Confidence - knowing that their request will come, no matter how long it may take, no matter how it may come. And as that good ground becomes stronger, the end result brings the fulfillment of God's Word more and more in their personal life. They start to live the Promises written, they start to experience the truth of what was written; they start to live the life that was meant for them - in full abundance.
Where is your heart today, in this moment? Are you walking on the Way Side, when it relates to the Word? Is it on the Stony Ground, full of doubt? Are you being choked out by the cares of this World? Or is your heart in the Good Ground, allowing yourself to receive the Promises for your personal life; enduring until the Harvest comes? Blessed are those that are of this good ground, for they walk in the Peace and Fullness of the Living God; no matter what they face, no matter what the situation is; the Word has become their Foundation. Though they may slip and fall short at times, they always run back to the Word for their guidance, direction, inner peace.
It is written in Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” God is faithful, He can be trusted; He paid a high price for you to be completely free in all areas of your life, read Isaiah 53. He left His Word down here as a Seed for our Hearts and Minds; so that we can apply His wants, according to our situations. Do you trust in yourself, your own intellect; or do you trust in the God that you accepted into your life; according to His Seed, the written Word? Water your Seeds daily, by reading a little bit of His Word each Day; watch the Reality of the Word, manifest in your personal life; experience the Peace and Assurance that is a part of the Harvest.
BENJAMIN E. THOMPKINS JR.
