The Real Confidence Monitor.

But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. (Matthew 13:6)

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Martha said something that I’d like us to reflect on today. She said (paraphrased here), It’s not our complaints that move God. It is when we declare the word of God that God responds. She then asked us: How can we declare the word of God if we’ve never read it, or if we aren’t sure of what it says?

As we learn the word of God by reading Scripture, rehearsing it through meditation, and declaring it with our mouths, we can be confident that our Lord will fulfill His word in the earth. However, if we don't learn His word, we won't grow in faith and we won't increase in our knowledge of God. We must remain aware that our depth of devotion to God impacts the confidence with which we can declare His word.

Let's consider the parable of the sower, found in the books of Matthew and Mark. We see in the narratives that the process of seeds developing into mature plants could be cut short by various things: the soil, the sun, the roots, the rocks. Seeds grounded in deep, fertile, rock-free soil had a better end result than those that fell along the path. We also see in these narratives that Jesus used the parable to describe the ways in which people develop spiritually (see Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20).

How are we doing in terms of our spiritual development? Do you and I carry, in our hearts and minds, a knowledge of what God’s word says? Do we live in obedience to His word? Do we rejoice in the expectation that God will fulfill His word? Are we committed to being “deeply rooted” in the word of God? Are we willing to extract and discard the things that are harming, stunting, or otherwise blocking our spiritual development?

Recitation. Meditation. Declaration.

Isaiah 55

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.