Today we continue our series entitled, “Expecting the Word to Work!” This is part 45.
Note: I am back from the Dominican Republic. It was a quick trip. We were able to get 400 backpacks, with all the school supplies to go with them, and hand them out to underprivileged children. A special THANK YOU to all our partners and supports.
We have been studying the parable of the sower for months. In this parable Jesus talks about a sower who planted seed into four different types of soil. Today I want to go back to the parable with a message entitled, “Managing Your Expectations!”
Jesus said:
“The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.” (Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- The title of this series is, “Expecting the Word to Work!” Expectation is the gear-stick of faith. If you do not have an expectation your faith is in neutral. You have faith, but you are not doing anything with it if it is not focused on a promise from God. In this parable we learn that the power to produce is IN every Word (or seed) God releases. However, the Word does not produce the same results in every heart (or soil) it is sown into, because the way you initially receive the Word is important, and the way you wait on the manifestation of it is important. If you don’t initially receive the Word God speaks, then you rejecting the seed altogether. You never even gave it a chance to work. But if you get past the initial reception (which is the easy part), you then have to wait on the manifestation of what God said. This is where expectation comes in. If you are not living in expectation of the Word for the long-haul, then you are not in-faith and you won’t see what God said come to pass. Expectation is absolutely critical.
- While expectation is critical to faith, not managing your expectations correctly can lead to unnecessary anxiety. If not addressed, this can lead to an overall faith-failure. Faith has a timing component. Your faith fails when it is not aligned with God’s timing.
- Your watch of expectation must be synchronized with God’s clock of manifestation. If it is not, you will be expecting God to do something before its time and that misaligned expectation will lead to frustration.
- The Rocky Ground people gave up before the manifestation of the Word. They did not understand God’s timing and they gave up before their season was DUE. Don’t make the same mistake they did. Seek to discern God’s timing and HOLD ON until your due season comes DUE!
- The Thorny Ground people shifted their focus from what God said to what they desired, because they could not properly manage their Godly expectations. When God did not do what they wanted, WHEN THEY WANTED IT, they shifted from God to self. Don’t make the same mistake!
We will talk more about managing your expectations tomorrow.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. My expectation is tied to Your Word. I expect You to do everything You said You would do in my life. My expectation is tied to Your promises. And I know that Your promises will not happen before their time. Therefore I declare that I hold on until my DUE SEASON comes due. I avoid unnecessary anxiety and frustration because I properly discern Your timing and I manage my expectations accordingly. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
