No Root

In Jesus’s Parable of the Sower (Luke 8: 1–15), the seed in one case fell upon rocky ground, covered with only a thin layer of earth. When the seed began to take root, its downward growth was obstructed by the hard stone, so it spent its strength in pushing its green shoot up as high as it could. But unable to draw moisture and nourishment through its roots, it withered away. Is this my case? Have I been making a fair show in the flesh without having a corresponding inner life? Good growth takes place upward and downward at the same time. Am I rooted in sincere faithfulness and love to Jesus? If my heart remains unsoftened and unfertilized by grace, the good seed may germinate for a short time—but it must ultimately wither, because it cannot flourish on a rocky, unbroken, unsanctified heart. Let me dread a “godliness” as rapid in growth and lacking in endurance as Jonah’s plant (Jonah 4: 6–7). Let me count the cost of being a follower of Jesus. Above all, let me feel the energy of His Holy Spirit. Then I shall possess an abiding and enduring seed in my soul. If my mind remains in its natural, stubborn insensitivity, and my heart in its hardness, they will—when the sun of trial scorches—help cast the heat the more terribly upon the ill-covered seed. My religion will soon die and my despair will be terrible. Oh, heavenly Sower, plow me first, and then cast the truth into me. Let me yield to you a bountiful harvest.” —Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

Spurgeon offers us here both a devotional thought and a prayer of application. May we make good use of both! Let us examine ourselves by the light of this passage. Let’s ask, ‘Have I received the Word of God with joy? Have our feelings been stirred and has a positive impression been made within us? Or have we heard with our ears only, and not also our hearts? Have we embraced God’s Word in the depths of our souls? Superficial feelings wither under the hardness of our hearts and their impact is fleeting. May we look to sink our roots deeply and grow strong and fruitful in Christ! —DH