“The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the grain fell along the way, was trodden on and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit- a hundred times as much.”
The above passage is a parable taken from the book of Luke, Chapter 8 verses five to eight. When I meditate on the above passage, it helps me to reflect on the types of nourishment that one may consider as part of nurturing one’s faith. It is important to receive measures of faith. But it is equally important to ensure that whatever is being implanted rests on soil adequate for that seed’s growth and development. From the passage, verse 11 confirms the Word of God to be the seed.
Now, this is the point of the parable: The seed is the word of God. (Luke 8:11)
In this scenario, if the Word of God is the seed, then I ask myself, who is the sower? I search further.
I look to the book of John Chapter 15:
1 I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower.
2 If any of my branches doesn’t bear fruit, He breaks it off: and He prunes every branch that does bear fruit that it may bear even more fruit.
3 You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you;
4 live in Me as I live in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you if you don’t remain in Me.
So, the above passages speak about planting and the care of the seed. Once a seed has been planted, the next priority for the sower is the care and treatment that the seed receives following its implantation.
Now, I could say the seed is the Word. But I also very well say that the seed is an idea. So now I equate ‘the word’ to be ‘an idea’ or ‘way of thinking’. But whose idea is this? Whose way of thinking is this? Who is the keeper and guardian of this idea? It is the Father’s idea. The idea belongs to God, the Creator of all the heavens above and the earth below. The Word is His idea. For He spoke it and so it came into being.
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; and He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1,2)
God, the Father, left his Word for His children. God, the Father left His way so that his children can come to understand his ways, his thoughts and his commands. So, if the seed is the Word, then, where is this seed being planted. I think to myself... It has to be the soil of the mind. This is the seed that the Father has planted into the minds of his children. When God’s Word is being spread, it is the mind that works to catch the seed allowing for its implantation. It is like the fertilized egg waiting to be implanted in the woman’s womb. The idea must first be implanted in the mind. So, the idea of God; God’s idea, which is God’s Word must first be implanted in the mind before the process of being nurtured can take shape.
Suppose then, the seed of the Word has been dropped in the soil of the mind, now what? What does the sower do? What does anyone who sows a seed do? He starts to care for that seed. But how does he do this? He needs to make sure that the ground remains fertile enough that the seed can actually develop into what he expects that seed to become. The Father nurtures the Word of God. The Father nurtures His very Word. I place concentration here on the Father. For He is the vine grower. I think for a bit.
Man makes time with his Father, giving Him the allowance for the Father to nurture his mind each day. The more time that we give to the Father, the more He is able to aerate, and make malleable the soil of the mind, such that the Word can develop and grow so much that man receives the kind of faith that He expects to see coming from him. This I come to understand. My Father works on maturing my faith.
I read from the book of Psalm Chapter 139:
13 It was You who formed my inmost part and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank You for these wonders You have done, and my heart praises You for your marvelous deeds.
15 Even my bones were known to You when I was being formed in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw the course of my days; they were all recorded in your book before any of them came to be.
17 How difficult it is to grasp your thoughts, O God! Their number cannot be counted.
18 If I tried to do so, they would outnumber the sands; I am never finished with You.
I consider my Father’s ways. He cares enough to change and mould my mind to receive all that He wants me to receive. My Father is my teacher. I need only keep patent my mind to receive all that my Father wills me to receive.
So, now, the question remains, what can man do to allow his Father to percolate his mind such that it allows Godly faith to grow inside of him?
Well, the Father gave us his very Word. It is in the Word, that He gives man instructions, such that, if man follows, he begins to receive the care and love that the Father wishes to give.
So, what exactly are these instructions that can be found in the Word?
I read from the book of Joshua Chapter 1:
8 Constantly read the book of this Law and meditate on it day and night that you may truly do what it says. So shall your plans be fulfilled and you shall succeed in everything.
9 It is I who command you; be strong then, and be valiant. Do not tremble or be afraid, because Yahweh, your God, is with you wherever you go.”
I consider the words taken from the book of Psalm Chapter 1:
2 Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on his commandments.
3 He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.
It is therefore necessary then, to keep considering God’s Word, watching Him day and night and putting much thought in what my Father has to say. It is from his laws and teachings, can I receive much understanding and nourishment. I learn to understand my Father’s ways by reading his Word and his instructions.
Then the children you love learned that it is not crops of whatever kind which nourish humankind, but your word sustains those who trust you. (Wisdom 16:26)
I now distill that the first form of nourishment that I receive from Father comes from his Word.
Now, I ask myself, what are some of the elements that one may consider when he thinks of the developmental stages of the seed that is planted. What causes this seed’s germination?
I revisit the parable taken from the book of Luke Chapter 8 and work to break the elements down.
The seed = the Word of God
The Sower = the Father
The soil = the mind (verse 15)
The birds [vultures] = words that come against God’s Word (verse 12)
The rocks = trials and resistance (verse 13)
The thorns = the worries of the world, distractions (verse 14)
Watering [nurturing] =thoughtfulness, constant meditation, perseverance, patience (verse 15)
It is very clear that most of the work that is to be done is happening in the mind. God plants his seed in the mind. The mind, then becomes his mind field that He needs to watch over, protect and see the faith that He has planted blossom into wonderful fruits.
Just by reviewing the elements, one may easily identify the weak points or points of entry for the Word or the seed to be attacked and ultimately, one’s belief. But a solution is also highlighted here, which remains consistent with the command. That is, one is to remain in thoughtful consideration for God’s Word, remaining in constant meditation, perseverance and patience, even in the midst of humiliation, persecution, resistance and distractions.
This is important. No matter how one may feel, it is important to always keep God’s Word in mind. This is the nurturing part of faith.
Faith takes maturation when one decides to consider the Father and his Word in the midst of persecution. This is when faith moves from a state of dormancy to one of activity. It is in time of persecution, that faith comes alive. The Father is able to perform his work of developing faith in the midst of trial. This is one lesson I would like to emphasise. Faith works in the midst of opposition.
So, one may read the Word and meditate on it. But when one is faced with opposition, true nourishment takes place. It is in that moment of despair when faith works to become perfected.
Trials then, should not be frowned upon, for all the Father is doing is presenting yet another opportunity to grow faith. This has always been my prayer request. And now, after all these years, I finally get it! It changes my perspective in how I view my challenges and it changes how I choose to respond to such challenges. Understanding this bit, helps me greatly to also understand this one thing:
No, I am not cursed.
No, I am not rejected.
No, I am not a failure.
I am simply being looked after as I work to build my faith. That is it.
No, I am not ashamed of my life.
My Father believes in me. He knows I will overcome my challenges.
I trust in my Father and in his Word.
I sit now, in reflection, to consider my past actions; the things already performed and the things that I quickly ran away from. My Father knows me. He knows that I like to run and hide. Except I can’t exactly run away from Him and his ideas for my life. I am who He says I am. It is only now for me to truly believe the things that He tells me.
The above passage is a parable taken from the book of Luke, Chapter 8 verses five to eight. When I meditate on the above passage, it helps me to reflect on the types of nourishment that one may consider as part of nurturing one’s faith. It is important to receive measures of faith. But it is equally important to ensure that whatever is being implanted rests on soil adequate for that seed’s growth and development. From the passage, verse 11 confirms the Word of God to be the seed.
Now, this is the point of the parable: The seed is the word of God. (Luke 8:11)
In this scenario, if the Word of God is the seed, then I ask myself, who is the sower? I search further.
I look to the book of John Chapter 15:
1 I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower.
2 If any of my branches doesn’t bear fruit, He breaks it off: and He prunes every branch that does bear fruit that it may bear even more fruit.
3 You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you;
4 live in Me as I live in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you if you don’t remain in Me.
So, the above passages speak about planting and the care of the seed. Once a seed has been planted, the next priority for the sower is the care and treatment that the seed receives following its implantation.
Now, I could say the seed is the Word. But I also very well say that the seed is an idea. So now I equate ‘the word’ to be ‘an idea’ or ‘way of thinking’. But whose idea is this? Whose way of thinking is this? Who is the keeper and guardian of this idea? It is the Father’s idea. The idea belongs to God, the Creator of all the heavens above and the earth below. The Word is His idea. For He spoke it and so it came into being.
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; and He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1,2)
God, the Father, left his Word for His children. God, the Father left His way so that his children can come to understand his ways, his thoughts and his commands. So, if the seed is the Word, then, where is this seed being planted. I think to myself... It has to be the soil of the mind. This is the seed that the Father has planted into the minds of his children. When God’s Word is being spread, it is the mind that works to catch the seed allowing for its implantation. It is like the fertilized egg waiting to be implanted in the woman’s womb. The idea must first be implanted in the mind. So, the idea of God; God’s idea, which is God’s Word must first be implanted in the mind before the process of being nurtured can take shape.
Suppose then, the seed of the Word has been dropped in the soil of the mind, now what? What does the sower do? What does anyone who sows a seed do? He starts to care for that seed. But how does he do this? He needs to make sure that the ground remains fertile enough that the seed can actually develop into what he expects that seed to become. The Father nurtures the Word of God. The Father nurtures His very Word. I place concentration here on the Father. For He is the vine grower. I think for a bit.
Man makes time with his Father, giving Him the allowance for the Father to nurture his mind each day. The more time that we give to the Father, the more He is able to aerate, and make malleable the soil of the mind, such that the Word can develop and grow so much that man receives the kind of faith that He expects to see coming from him. This I come to understand. My Father works on maturing my faith.
I read from the book of Psalm Chapter 139:
13 It was You who formed my inmost part and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank You for these wonders You have done, and my heart praises You for your marvelous deeds.
15 Even my bones were known to You when I was being formed in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw the course of my days; they were all recorded in your book before any of them came to be.
17 How difficult it is to grasp your thoughts, O God! Their number cannot be counted.
18 If I tried to do so, they would outnumber the sands; I am never finished with You.
I consider my Father’s ways. He cares enough to change and mould my mind to receive all that He wants me to receive. My Father is my teacher. I need only keep patent my mind to receive all that my Father wills me to receive.
So, now, the question remains, what can man do to allow his Father to percolate his mind such that it allows Godly faith to grow inside of him?
Well, the Father gave us his very Word. It is in the Word, that He gives man instructions, such that, if man follows, he begins to receive the care and love that the Father wishes to give.
So, what exactly are these instructions that can be found in the Word?
I read from the book of Joshua Chapter 1:
8 Constantly read the book of this Law and meditate on it day and night that you may truly do what it says. So shall your plans be fulfilled and you shall succeed in everything.
9 It is I who command you; be strong then, and be valiant. Do not tremble or be afraid, because Yahweh, your God, is with you wherever you go.”
I consider the words taken from the book of Psalm Chapter 1:
2 Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on his commandments.
3 He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.
It is therefore necessary then, to keep considering God’s Word, watching Him day and night and putting much thought in what my Father has to say. It is from his laws and teachings, can I receive much understanding and nourishment. I learn to understand my Father’s ways by reading his Word and his instructions.
Then the children you love learned that it is not crops of whatever kind which nourish humankind, but your word sustains those who trust you. (Wisdom 16:26)
I now distill that the first form of nourishment that I receive from Father comes from his Word.
Now, I ask myself, what are some of the elements that one may consider when he thinks of the developmental stages of the seed that is planted. What causes this seed’s germination?
I revisit the parable taken from the book of Luke Chapter 8 and work to break the elements down.
The seed = the Word of God
The Sower = the Father
The soil = the mind (verse 15)
The birds [vultures] = words that come against God’s Word (verse 12)
The rocks = trials and resistance (verse 13)
The thorns = the worries of the world, distractions (verse 14)
Watering [nurturing] =thoughtfulness, constant meditation, perseverance, patience (verse 15)
It is very clear that most of the work that is to be done is happening in the mind. God plants his seed in the mind. The mind, then becomes his mind field that He needs to watch over, protect and see the faith that He has planted blossom into wonderful fruits.
Just by reviewing the elements, one may easily identify the weak points or points of entry for the Word or the seed to be attacked and ultimately, one’s belief. But a solution is also highlighted here, which remains consistent with the command. That is, one is to remain in thoughtful consideration for God’s Word, remaining in constant meditation, perseverance and patience, even in the midst of humiliation, persecution, resistance and distractions.
This is important. No matter how one may feel, it is important to always keep God’s Word in mind. This is the nurturing part of faith.
Faith takes maturation when one decides to consider the Father and his Word in the midst of persecution. This is when faith moves from a state of dormancy to one of activity. It is in time of persecution, that faith comes alive. The Father is able to perform his work of developing faith in the midst of trial. This is one lesson I would like to emphasise. Faith works in the midst of opposition.
So, one may read the Word and meditate on it. But when one is faced with opposition, true nourishment takes place. It is in that moment of despair when faith works to become perfected.
Trials then, should not be frowned upon, for all the Father is doing is presenting yet another opportunity to grow faith. This has always been my prayer request. And now, after all these years, I finally get it! It changes my perspective in how I view my challenges and it changes how I choose to respond to such challenges. Understanding this bit, helps me greatly to also understand this one thing:
No, I am not cursed.
No, I am not rejected.
No, I am not a failure.
I am simply being looked after as I work to build my faith. That is it.
No, I am not ashamed of my life.
My Father believes in me. He knows I will overcome my challenges.
I trust in my Father and in his Word.
I sit now, in reflection, to consider my past actions; the things already performed and the things that I quickly ran away from. My Father knows me. He knows that I like to run and hide. Except I can’t exactly run away from Him and his ideas for my life. I am who He says I am. It is only now for me to truly believe the things that He tells me.
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