My word for 2015 is fruitful.  I haven’t been very fruitful.  Have you ever set out to complete a task, a challenge, a goal, only to feel like you are headed in the opposite direction?  I totally get it.  It’s frustrating, isn’t it?  But God has a solution; He always does.

Last evening someone at our church spoke from Luke 8 about the parable of the sower.  It was for me.  It may have been for a lot of other people too, but it was for ME.  The Word of God spoke directly to my heart and revealed my sin.

I haven’t been fruitful because I haven’t been in God’s Word.  Someone also shared yesterday that not being in God’s Word, and not walking in the Spirit is like laying down all your weapons on the table over to Satan.  He picks them up and uses your very own power source against you!  That hit home.

Luke 8 talks about the sower going out to work his field.

The first time the seed falls by the wayside, it is trampled down, and the birds eat it.

The second time some fall on rocky ground, and as soon as it sprang up, it didn’t bring forth fruit because the ground lacked moisture.

The third time the seed fell among thorns and choked it.

Finally, the seed fell among good soil, sprang up, and yielded a bountiful harvest!

Verse 14-15 says,

¹⁴ Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

The seed is the Word of God.  I want to be what verse 15 says!  Free from the cares of this world, having a humble and teachable heart, ready to receive God’s instruction daily from His Word.  His Word is everything.  It preserves us, and allows us to bear fruit because it is well kept there!

I need to be reading God’s Word daily, cultivating it and turning it over in my mind through meditation and prayer, and allowing it to remain in my heart for future harvesting!

In order to bare fruit we must be patient!  Producing fruit doesn’t happen instantly, it takes time and patience, trusting in God to bring the increase.

So faithful friend, have you been allowing God’s seed to fall among thorns?  Are you being choked by the daily cares of this world, unable to bare fruit?  Get into God’s Word today and remain there tomorrow, and the next, and the next…

So as you are raising and teaching children, remain faithful, don’t lose heart…

As you are investing in your marriage, stay the course even when you don’t feel the butterflies or love- still choose to love and sacrifice…

That goal you started at the beginning of January to get healthy and glorify God with your body… keep on keeping on…