Shallowness

Mark 4:^16-17 “Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” (NIV)

The first growth trap that keeps people where they are in spite of all the power that is available to them is Familiarity. The second trap of growth is Shallowness. Mark 4:^16-17 “The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” The roots cannot go down because underneath the surface is a rock. Some people look so nice and shiny on the surface, the best selfies, so articulate, so anointed, and they know the right scripture to post. But underneath is a layer of rock preventing roots from growing.

Matthew 13:²¹ “But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” The truth is that none of us includes problems in our growth plan for the year, or does your growth plan for the year include problems? Even the goals card I designed, which we include in the devotional, does not include problems. We don’t include problems in our own growth plans but guess what? God does for us. Or rather, He allows it to happen because real growth happens in times of difficulty. When the sun hits, what makes you someone who weathers the season instead of withering because of the season? The answer is roots.

I pray that God will break up every rock underneath your soil that is preventing your roots from going downward. And your soil will become fertile in the Name of Jesus. Have you seen trees that seem to withstand any and every season no matter how extreme? Trees that are dry with zero leaves in one season and boisterous with plenty of leaves in another. What makes the same tree that was dried out and withered survive and is ready to bloom and blossom during another season? The answer is the tree had roots deep in the ground. As long as you are rooted, you will survive the seasons in the Name of Jesus.

Pay attention to your roots because as long as you remain rooted, seasons will come, and seasons will go. But you will remain bearing fruit in Jesus Name. Roots help you to weather the difficulties of life. Do you want to flourish quickly, or do you want to painstakingly grow roots? I don’t know about you, but I want both. And most of us, if you are honest, we want the two. But the challenge is that the two do not happen simultaneously.

Prayer: Father, deliver me from the trap of familiarity and shallowness, in Jesus Name. Amen!