Clearing A Way For The Word To Work

by Rick

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”.  We have been learning about our need for focus all year and about this parable for months.  Let’s get back to the parable of the sower this morning.  

 

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)

 

The major issue with the people Jesus likens to the thorny ground is that they have allowed their lives to become “full of other things”.  The Word of God has been sown in their hearts, but they have allowed “other things” to consume their thoughts and actions.  Today we will discuss what it looks like to actually clear the way for the Word to work.

 

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

 

  1.  When you read or hear what God’s position is on any given topic and you immediately know that your position does not line up with it, you have a choice.  You can either accept the fact that you disagree with God and maintain your position of disagreeance/disobedience, or you can make your mind up, in that moment, that you are going to change.  If you change to God’s position, you are positioning yourself to walk in His best.  But if you stubbornly maintain your position, even when you know it is against God, you are living a life of disobedience and it will cost you.  At that point the Word sown in your heart will NOT produce a harvest.

 

  1.  When I first started walking with God it seemed like I was discovering conflicts between God’s ideas and my ideas every day.  But this was not a bad thing.  I saw it as a good thing.  My hunger for God was so strong that I wanted to know all the ways in which I was NOT pleasing to Him.  Every time I came across a scripture I did not line up with or every time the Holy Spirit convicted me about something, I was quick to repent and head in a new direction (God’s direction).  This is how we allow the Word to work in our lives.  This is what God is looking for.

 

  1.  If you make it a practice to clear a way for God’s Word to work in your life — being quick to repent and change EVERY TIME you find a conflict between you and God — the Word will start to work in your life, it will produce fruit in/with/through you, and you will forever be changed.

 

  1.  The unlimited power and potential found in the Word is God is only fully unleashed when we clear our hearts and minds of everything that disagrees with it.  When we do, the results are amazing and supernatural.  

 

  1.  Changing your will and ways to align with God’s is more than worth it.  If you make a practice of this you will wake up one morning to realize that your ways are God’s ways, your thoughts are God’s thoughts, and your conduct is Godly and holy.  When you get to this point there is nothing God cannot do through you!

 

Closing Confession:  Father, this is a season of refined focus for me.  I bring my life into focus in 2016.  I clear a way for Your Word to work in my heart and mind.  Every time I come across a scripture that my thinking does NOT line up with, and every time the Holy Spirit speaks to me about something that is NOT pleasing to You, I am quick to repent.  I won’t debate with Your will.  I won’t stubbornly disagree with Your ways.  I quickly and regularly repent and change.  Your will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven, through me, for Your glory.  And I declare that I get to the point where my will IS Your will, where my desires ARE Your desires, and where my conduct is Godly and holy.  2016 is my year to focus on becoming the man/woman I was born to be!  I declare this by faith!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.