Today, we will look at our second choice. Last week we looked at the Hard Ground. This describes the person who has a hard heart towards God and His Word.
The second choice that Jesus mentions in the parable is the Rocky Ground. This is not the ground full of stones; it was a narrow skin of earth over a shelf of limestone rock. Much of Galilee was like this. In many fields the outcrop of the rock through the shallow soil could be seen. Seed which feel there germinated all right; but because the soil was so shallow and held so little nourishment and moisture, the heat of the sun soon withered the sprouting seed so that it died.
In vss. 16-17 Jesus lets us know that these are the people that face persecution and affliction because of the word. Jesus never promises us that following Him is going to be daisies and roses. There are going to be times when we will be persecuted because of our faith (Matthew 10:22 and 2 Timothy 3:12).
Does this soil sound like you? When you face hard times do you abandon God's Word for something else? Do you allow Satan to deceive you in believing that God cannot help you during your hard time? You may not believe this but God is with us even during our times of afflictions and persecutions (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20, and John 14:8).
Don't allow the heat of the sun withered your life away. As I did last week, I want to end with two questions that Francis Chan asks in his book.
1. Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live?
2. Do you see evidence of God's Kingdom in your life?
Meditate and pray over your answers to these questions this week.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
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