Mark 4:16-17

16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. -Mark 4:16-17

---

Have you ever met or known someone that use to be super on fire for God and then now their faith just seems lukewarm or even non-existent?  Maybe that’s you.  Maybe at one time you were so passionate about following Jesus and now that passion is gone.  This passage is for you.

Jesus describes a person like this in his parable of the sower (someone who plants seeds).  Remember, a parable is a fictitious story teaching us an important truth.  In this part of the parable, the seed is God’s Word.  We are the soil.  If we are “rocky” spiritual soil, it can be hard for God’s Word to grow and take root.  We are passionate about God at first, but it just doesn’t last.

How do we make our relationship with God last and grow?  We need to till the soil of our hearts.  We’re not farmers so here’s a heads up on agriculture vocabulary.  “Tilling” is what farmers do to remove the rocks from the soil so that the seeds they plant can grow.  We need to do this with our lives—we need to remove the rocks in our lives that prevents God’s Word from taking root and growing.

How do we do this?  How do we till the soil of our hearts?  We need to remove things in our lives and make time to meditate, reflect, and respond to God’s Word.  If you’re reading this devotional, you’re already starting the process of “tilling” your heart.  In order for you to read this devotional, it means you’re not doing other things like FaceTiming a friend, or playing League, or watching Netflix or YouTube.  In order to do this activity of reading this devotional, you have to first REMOVE something from your life to make time for this.

Reading this devotional is a great start, but depending on where you are in your faith, Jesus might ask you to start tilling OTHER parts of your life.  He might want you to start being more involve and connected to a Christian fellowship or group.  Being part of your church’s youth group or Harvesters & AYL can help till the soil of your heart and help God’s Word to grow in you.

He might want you to ask an older brother or sister in Christ to help you through discipleship.  Having a spiritual mentor can definitely help you to till the soil of your heart.

All of these things though require you to REMOVE something that you’re doing first, because growing in God requires your time.  Reading this devotion takes time.  Coming out to Communal Devos on Zoom takes time.  Being part of Harvesters or AYL takes time.  Meeting with a mentor on a regular basis takes time.

How can you till the soil of your heart to better receive God’s Word?  What do you need to REMOVE in your life so that you have time to spend on activities that can help you spiritually?  What activities do you need to engage in to help you grow in your faith?