I was reading the parable of the sower and the seed. I have read that story many times but this morning a phrase stood out at me. When Jesus was explaining its meaning, He said, “they receive the word with joy, but they have no real root in themselves.
That phrase was highlighted, “they have no real root in themselves.”
I have the honor of doing life with many women. But too often I see women, get a word, get excited only for that word to be tested and BAM they are back to their old thought patterns. This frustrates me because I want every person to be set free. So I asked God, “How do we strengthen our roots.”
1. Till the soil and dig up toxic roots. These are the lies we have believed. “God is angry and waiting to punish. I must work for God’s love. God doesn’t want us to be blessed financially. I will always be like this. He doesn’t give us more than we can bear. He sent this trial to teach me something.” All lies.
2. Decide what you want to grow and plant the right seed. Faith for healing, for finances, for a wayward child, a failing marriage? Do you need faith to believe you are loved, you are accepted, you are valuable? Then choose the right fertilizer for the job. Read books, find scripture and meditate on on the seed you need to sow.
3. Water amply. Saturate your heart in the word. Somewhere in this process, we have to go from baby food to real meat. Your pastor or favorite teacher can only provide baby food. He/she has taken the word, processed it, and gives to us. No matter how profound the word, for those receiving it, it is still baby food. We develop our root system by digging into the word of God, and hearing God for ourselves. Sooner or later, I have to stop quoting my favorite teacher and start quoting what God tells me in the secret place.
4. Oxygen. Allow God to breathe on the seed you are planting. Allow Him to illuminate areas where toxic roots have begun to grow.
5. Be patient. Beautiful, strong gardens take years to establish. When you don’t see results immediately, don’t dig up your seeds with words of doubt. Double down, water more intensely.
Brothers and sisters, let’s grow strong, well established roots. Let our seed bear much fruit – thirty, sixty, one hundred times more than what was sown.
“In a similar way these [in the second group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy [but accept it only superficially]; and they have no real root in themselves, so they endure only for a little while; then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they [are offended and displeased at being associated with Me and] stumble and fall away.”
MARK 4:16-17 AMP
http://bible.com/1588/mrk.4.16-17.amp