We are continuing in our study of The Parable of the Sower! In my last post, “Do You Have an Open Heart?”, we learned about the soil of the first heart mentioned in the parable…the hardened heart. We discovered what happens when we do not keep our hearts soft and open before the Lord.
To receive seeds of God’s revelation, we must realize the value of it. In Proverbs 2:1, it says, “My child, will you treasure my wisdom? Then, and only then, will you acquire it. And only if you accept my advice and hide it within will you succeed.”
Today we are looking at the second heart mentioned in the Parable of the Sower. We will refer to it as the shallow heart. The Bible says the soil of this heart is rocky!
Spiritually speaking, this heart is open to hear from God and when God speaks, it JOYFULLY says, “Yes! I hear what you are saying, and I want it!”
Any thought attached to an emotion gets immediately planted into our heart. This can be the emotion of joy or peace from hearing God, or it can be fear or other negative emotions by agreeing with our enemy’s words.
Being open to hear God and accepting HIS message is the necessary first step. The parable explains, however, that this soil has its issues. It is composed of only a shallow layer of dirt with underlying rock. If you’ve done much planting with a shovel, you’ve heard the clank of hitting rock a time or two!
When a natural seed gets planted into this kind of soil, instead of the roots growing downward into the dirt, the tender roots stay near the surface of the ground, not being able to penetrate the rock underneath.
This causes the plant to spring up quickly above the soil instead of creating a deep root system, which helps with moisture retention and provides protection from the harsh sun. Unfortunately, with a shallow root system, the young plant’s demise is certain, and it withers away soon after sprouting.
Spiritually speaking, when we hear and accept a word from God, it brings with it joy and hope. We could be facing a circumstance the size of a mountain, but in a split second, one word from God can make the impossible seem logical!
However, when we are a brand new believer who has recently accepted the message of the Gospel, or even a seasoned believer with a new revelation from God, we are very vulnerable- like a tender plant that has just sprouted above the ground.
Although satan cannot steal the word from us at this stage because we have understood and welcomed what we have heard, he will tempt us to turn back and give up on the word. satan loves to use circumstances that SEEM to prove our revelation is not true.
He will also use family, and others close to us to stomp on our joy as we share our word with excitement. They do not understand God’s ways, and they will often question and even ridicule our newfound revelation. This is because the things of the Spirit are foolishness to those using their natural mind (1 Corinthians 2:14).
At this point, we are in danger of becoming “offended,” or miffed at the word we have heard. We will be tempted to shrink back and begin to question if we truly heard from God.
The Bible says trials and persecution WILL COME against our revelation to create doubt. Ultimately, satan is not after us. He is coming for God’s Word. He does not want the Word of God bringing forth fruit for the dying world to see and desire!
We must learn the enemy’s tactics! Doubt is a part of our journey, but it is never meant to be the final destination. We must push past the discouragement, doubt, and fear. We must keep running toward our promises!
To guard against giving up prematurely in this stage of growth, we need a period of full immersion. We need to be sheltered in the “hothouse” of God’s Word, soaking in the scriptures and listening to teaching related to what God has spoken to us.
“Faith comes by HEARING AND HEARING by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Repeated confirmations of what God has spoken will cause us to become “ROOTED and BUILT UP in Him and ESTABLISHED in the faith…” (Colossians 2:7)
Then we will be well on our way towards the goal of full persuasion…FAITH WITHOUT DOUBT!
Acts 20:32, “Now I commit you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up to give you your inheritance!”
Matthew 13:5-6 – “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.”
Matthew 13:20-21 – “The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes BECAUSE OF THE WORD, he quickly falls away.”
Jeremiah 23:29 – “Isn’t my word like fire?” says Yahweh; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
Colossians 1:23 – “But you must CONTINUE TO BELIEVE this truth and STAND FIRMLY in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News…”
1 Corinthians 9:24 – “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.”
Ephesians 3:-17 – “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been DEEPLY ROOTED AND SECURELY GROUNDED in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love].”
Close your eyes and allow this song by Brandon Lake to soak into the soil of your heart. God, Who is love, and His Word are inseparable. Go deeper and focus on getting rooted in God’s Word and love for you today!