"A
farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering
the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came
and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did
not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the
soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants
were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked
the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where
it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what
was sown."
(Matthew 13:3-8, NIV)
- Some had it easy;
they landed on fertile ground.
- Some never had
the chance to grow; birds devoured them.
- Some experienced
a little growth, but were destroyed by weeds.
- And some landed
in a hard place and could not stand the heat.
The little seed eaten
by birds may have been too small to protect itself. And the
little sprout choked by the weeds may not have possessed enough
strength to survive among thorns. But, the little seed in
a hard place had an option.
During hard times, we
have an option too. We can perish in the shallow grounds of
immaturity. Or, we can dig deep.
Digging deep spiritually
requires us to root our faith firmly in Jesus Christ.
In other words, we have to press through hard times and trust
God more than we trust ourselves. Believe the principles found
in his Word, rather than the negative reports and statistics
we hear and see every day.
Remember, during a drought
shallow ground may be parched and dry, but springs of water
can be found well below the surface. So how do we get our
roots (faith) to the Source?
- Pray (don't
worry)
- Meditate on the Word
of God (not the news)
- Be thankful (there
are others worse off than you)
- Give (even
when it's inconvenient and uncomfortable)
- Believe God (he
really does have a plan)
Every time we do these
things, especially when we don't feel like it or believe it
will help, our roots dig a little bit deeper. Eventually,
the weak, fearful, stumbling Christian will become a strong,
courageous, steadfast believer who can withstand the elements
of this world (fear, greed, lack, sickness, et cetera) and
provide shelter (encouragement and help) to others. Be encouraged,
God promises a blessing to those who will trust him...
"But
blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the
LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted
along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by
the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves
stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
(Jeremiah 17:7-8, New Living Translation)
|
|
 |
|
About the Author:
Valerie Morrow was born-again at the tender age
of 5, but has been chasing Jesus and the will of God
seriously for about 8 years. She is well acquainted
with the struggles and triumphs of Christian women.
As a busy (we prefer the word productive) wife, mother,
entrepreneur, leader, ministry student and writer, she
focuses on being well-balanced, as a necessity in life.
Valerie has been a waitress, a secretary, a receptionist,
a marketing assistant, an account coordinator, an account
manager, a marketing director, a business owner and
the "candy lady." She has learned the meaning
of being secure in Christ regardless of your position
or function in life and loves to share her insights
through devotionals, bible studies and "self- improvement"
articles from a Biblical perspective.
Valerie is the
wife of Henry Morrow and the mother of little Henry
Morrow (better known as "Hami" or "Mommy's
pumpkin") and Charli Kathryn. She is an active
member of Without Walls International Church under the
leadership of Bishop Randy White in Tampa, Florida.
|
|
|
