God’s Word Must Take Root

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  05/06/22

Satan targets both the spiritually strong and the spiritually weak. Whatever the level of our spiritual maturity, the enemy has a plan to make us spiritually stagnant. Jesus warned against this in His parable of the sower (see Matthew 13).

In this analogy, the sower is God and the seeds are God’s Word. The devil knows he has no power over the sower or the seed. This is why he focuses on corrupting the soil where the seeds land so that maybe he can prevent God’s Word from taking root in our hearts.

Jesus warns against three types of soil where seeds suffer. Today we will look at the first two.

In Matthew 13:19, there is the soil by the wayside: “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” When our hearts become hardened due to unconfessed sin or bitterness, we lose our sensitivity to God’s voice and our understanding of His Word.

The next type of soil is the shallow soil full of stones: “The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time” (Matthew 13:20-21). Fresh converts who are full of joy and wonder over their new faith can quickly fall into old habits when their friends ridicule them. Even longtime believers could be shallow soil if they have failed to mature beyond spiritual infancy.

Prayer: Father, show me if I am one of these types of soil where the seeds of Your Word are not able to take root. And by Your Spirit, make my heart fertile ground for Your Truth that brings joy and freedom. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28).