Let the Seed Grow in Your Heart
ICS Daily Devotions
Mark 4:13-20 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. 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. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
The highlight of this parable was on the last soil. The seed, which refers to the Word of God was well received and accepted, thus bringing forth a harvest. We will reap a harvest once we have allowed the seed to germinate and grow in our hearts. Therefore, we ourselves are the determining factor in how much influence the Word of God has on our lives because we have been given the freedom to choose to listen to the Word intently, accept it, and act it out diligently.
The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Therefore, there is tremendous power in the seed to produce faith in our lives. If the soil is fertile, which means our hearts are willing to receive the Word, it will have a multiplication effect of up to a hundredfold.
Stealing the seed is effortless for the devil when it is lying on hardened or stony ground and among the thorns because it is above the soil’s surface. We can listen to the preaching, teaching or sharing of the Word, yet be uninterested or sceptical about the simplicity of the Word of God. Because we are so used to “seeing is believing” and are easily affected by our senses, we are prone to giving up quickly rather than putting up a fight between what we experience and believe by faith.
Strong faith is developed by hearing, accepting and practising the Word of God. The seed allowed to germinate and grow into a tree will produce fruit for us to harvest. The Word of God will create faith in our lives, especially when developing conviction to help us overcome the tribulation, persecution, and adversity that the enemies throw at us in this world.
Jesus said we can move mountains even if we have faith like a mustard seed. Therefore, we must not underestimate the power of God’s word in our lives. Once the Word we hear becomes a conviction in our hearts, faith will grow from a measure of little to one of greatness.
Sermon Series：Growing Our Faith In God
