ICS Daily Devotions
Finish the Race
Luke 6: 48 (NKJV) He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
Mark 4:15-17 (NKJV) And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.
The Word of God is a like a seed that is sown into our hearts. It has tremendous power because it will cause our faith to grow. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). It is our faith in God that overcomes the world and the tribulation that comes with it.
According to the Bible, God is the sower of the Word, and Satan is the thief who steals the seed from our hearts by sending tribulation and persecution. Some people will stumble, fall away, and leave the Lord, but faithful friends can help to remind us that tribulation is the work of the devil and point us back to Jesus. If we have the conviction that God is good, we can be resilient, and trials and tribulations should bring out our genuine faith.
It is easier for the Word to be stolen when it is still in seed form. Once it has taken root in our hearts, it becomes a strong conviction of our faith, like the pouring of a layer of the foundation. It will be immovable because faith is not affected by our senses but anchored on the Word of God. If we have a strong conviction of the Word and act on what we believe, our hearts will be fertile grounds that allow the Word of God to take root and produce up to a hundred-fold. We need to have a hunger for the Word of God. Because what pleases God is our faith in Him, He wants His Word to take root in our hearts, and He wants us to take His Word for it because that’s what faith is.
We shouldn’t be like those whose house collapsed because of the lack of foundation, or those whose seeds had no roots. Although they received the Word with gladness, because they lack deep conviction, they stumble and fall the moment tribulation and persecution arise for the Word’s sake. Instead, we ought to be mature believers who have a foundation built on the Word of God and who can differentiate between the work of the devil and the dealing of God. It will help us to be resilient in our faith and finish the race.
Sermon Series: Resilience
