March 12: Luke 8 11-15

Key Verse: Luke 8 13
Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Devotion:
Do you know someone who used to come to church but has either been struggling with things or just seems to have lost interest? I think we can all think of someone who falls into one of those categories – and, if you are like me, you long for them to be released from the thing which is trapping them so they can get back to a loving relationship with Christ!

That is where we come in… How consistent are you with your Christian life? I’m not talking about the religious content, the fact you always go to church or the way people know you as the local God person! I’m talking about your own relationship with Christ! How much do you live your relationship with Christ rather than just talking about it? It may seem like hard work to keep being a Christian in a community which does not follow God or in a friendship where others just don’t want to know – but we do need to keep going and keep that relationship alive and in good health.

In this instance we should look at our relationship as being the job of the farmer. No matter what the weather and the forecast, we need to do our best to keep our crops going, not just for ourselves, but all the people around us too. We need to keep sowing our seeds over all the land around us… yes, some of it may well fall on the path and get trodden on and not germinate at all, but what about the others? For those which fall amongst the rocks, the seeds may well germinate and grow for a season and then die off. If we give up sowing our seeds, those little gems will stop being given a tiny chance as well.

It may well be one of those seeds which is able to survive a short season now which will then be remembered and germinate into a full plant which will in itself bare much fruit. We are not given the task of deciding who or who should not be given the gospel – our task is to give the gospel out and allow God to work in their hearts. Stop trying to make sense of the world and the people around you and give them all the same chance at getting to know Christ!

Points to Ponder:
Do you pick and choose who you talk to about God?

Will you step forward and sow your seeds liberally?