Today we continue our series entitled, “Expecting the Word to Work!” This is part 46.
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. Yesterday I introduced you to the concept of managing your expectations while you are waiting on God to do what He said He would do. Today we will continue to flow in that vein.
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.
1. When you read a promise that is documented in God’s Word, you must understand that it is a promise that applies to all believers. For that promise to come to pass in your life God has to manifest it within the context of the individual plans He made for you before the world began. So while the promise may be clear, the timing of the manifestation of it may not be. What you saw happen for another in days may take years to happen for you (or vice-versa), because no one has your assignment. Said another way, God’s general promises are manifested in a way that is tailor-made for each person. God takes into consideration what He planned to do, your level of cooperation with His plans, the decisions you have made in the past and the ones you will make in the future. These are all factors that contribute to the timing of your harvest. So if you don’t properly discern God’s timing, it is easy for you to expect God to do something before He is going to do it. This misaligned expectation can lead to a very painful experience. This is how you get frustrated when you are believing God to do what you KNOW He clearly said He was going to do. He told you WHAT, but He did not tell you WHEN. But here’s the good news: if you HOLD ON you WILL see God do what He said He would do in your life!
2. Expectation is the breeding ground of faith. You need to live in expectation of the manifestation of God’s promises. But you must also seek discernment concerning God’s timing. If you expect God to do something BEFORE its time, you will wind up disappointed, frustrated and possibly even depressed.
3. God provided seed (His Word) to all four types of soil.
a) The first soil (the path) received the Word of God, but these people did not understand it. Since their understanding was unfruitful, nothing happened.
b) The second soil (rocky ground) received the Word and got excited. Initially this was good. However, the excitement was short-lived. As soon as trouble and persecution came BECAUSE of the Word, these people were quick to give up. Did you catch that? The power and potential IN the Word of God attracted opposition from the enemy BEFORE the manifestation of the promise. As a believer, God expects us to HOLD ON, to KEEP BELIEVING, and to maintain our expectation long enough to ENDURE the challenges we must overcome in order to see the promises of God manifested. These people did not endure, so they missed out on God’s best. They failed to reap a harvest because they gave up before harvest time (see Gal 6:9).
c) The third soil (thorny ground) received the Word, but they did not truly have any confidence that God’s Word would to come pass. So they quickly shifted their attention to things they wanted. If they truly believed God and lived with a true EXPECTATION of God’s promises, they would not have allowed their lives to become full of other things. They put more confidence in the cares of this world than what God said. They were not convinced that God would be their source, so they filled their hearts with the love of money. They were not convinced that the life God planned for them was better than the one they wanted, so they chased selfish desires instead of God’s purpose. All of this happens when you don’t properly receive God’s promises and then manage your expectations in accordance with God’s timing.
We will talk more about managing your expectations tomorrow. In closing I will simply remind you that it requires BOTH faith and patience to inherit the promises of God (Heb 6:12).
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 to the tailor-made timing You have for me. Your promises will not happen before their time. Therefore I declare that I hold on until my harvest 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!
