Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
God created the world in six days. Day 1 he said, “Let there be light.” And things lit up! Day 2 he said, “Let there be sky”, and the sky appeared. Grand new things appeared whenever he spoke.
In Mark 4, Jesus told a different story about God’s word.
As a farmer scattered seed, some fell on the path and birds ate it. Some fell on rocky ground where it grew quickly, then quickly withered in the sun. Some fell in a weedy patch, where thorns choked it to death. Some did what seed is supposed to do–it fell on good ground and produced a harvest (Mark 4:1-20).
This story confused the disciples. What was Jesus getting on about? Jesus explained that the seed is the word of God. Sometimes it falls on poor soil and doesn’t grow properly. Sometimes it falls on good ground and grows into a harvest. Not like God’s word at creation, where every word God spoke produced amazing creative results.
In a class I attended, a student asked, “When we preach the word, why don’t people’s lives change more?” He felt that the good seed he spread should produce a great harvest.
What is the problem? Would you say, “There’s no problem with the word you preach. Blame the listeners. They are the rocky soil.”
I think when Jesus was on earth speaking God’s word to the disciples and crowds, he was planting seeds. Small, hidden truths scattered everywhere. Small beginnings, easily lost, easily choked out, easily withered. But for people then and now who receive and live by Jesus’ words, they grow into a wonderful, life-changing harvest.
Paul tells us that in Christ we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). He said, “God who commanded light to shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts” (2 Cor 4:6).
Jesus’ stories, his words, shine in our hearts and grow in our lives, drawing us into a new creation.
Let’s pray.
Our father, in our struggle against sin, we wish you would speak a powerful word to cleanse our thoughts and heal our diseases and make us saints in one day.
But your word is a seed in our lives, not a bulldozer. A grain of wheat for us to water and cultivate and protect from weeds.
The psalmist said, “Your word I have hid in my heart” (Ps 119:11). Help us cherish and cultivate what you have sown. Help us to be good soil, where your word grows and produces a harvest.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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