Welcome to our new series that is relevant for NOW in order to equip us, challenge us, prepare us, and lead us to the knowing the Father and His Word in a deeper, richer, and more impacting way.
This series came about as a few weeks ago my friend text me with a challenge he was facing. I listened and as I looked at the challenge I had this revelation, the last words the Lord had spoken to him in the direction, purpose, way, were no longer intact. I paused and asked my friend what were the two words or leadings the Lord gave him last time we caught up? he said I don’t know, I just can’t remember. This response puzzle me at first, then I had the realisation this could me too, How about you ?
Interesting right, and from here The Lord took me to the following Parable of The Sower, where Jesus shared this over and over in these passages:
Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15.
Before you go on, read these passages and ask Holy Spirit to highlight what He is saying to you, and then commit to reading them each day for a month, expectant that God will speak new revelation to you each moment about His Word.
Ok continuing on, I know when the same parable or revelation appears more than once in the bible it shows the relevance and importance to the message. Simply “a challenge everyone will face”. Often when we have heard this verse taught, the seed has represented our faith, belief and trust in the Lord. YET the Lord started showing through this text and answer that it also applies to every word He speaks.
Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”.
Deuteronomy 8:3 (NKJV)
“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord”.
Isaiah 55:11 (NIV)
“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”
These three verses share a remarkable fact, they all highlight how precious the Lord’s words are! His words hold within them, protection, provision, guidance, revelation and life itself and so much more.
The following are three approaches for illustrating how The Sower applies to All that God speaks:
- a) What about when we receive His word and place correct importance on it, but we don’t actually record it, so when we need it as my friend did, we can’t remember it.
Remind you of seed thrown on the path and the birds came and ate it?
- b) What about when we embrace the word we’ve received, maybe record it in our Journal, yet we don’t enquire of the Lord for how to apply it, and the result is we never get around to starting or applying it.
Remind you of seeds that fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, yet since they had no depth and root, when the sun rose, they were scorched and withered away.
- c) What about when we embrace the word when we received it, again maybe record it in our Journal, we do enquire of the Lord for how to apply it, and we attempt to apply it. YET when things get hard we give up on the word.
Remind you of seeds that fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Now each one of these approaches to The Word, end the same with the word disappearing, which means when we need it, it is nowhere to be seen.
Let’s pause there and next time we will pick up part 2 of this series.
Challenge Time: Grab your journal and space to be with the Lord and record what He answers.
- 1. Lord would reveal to me truly how much I value every single word You speak, written and spoken?
NB Don’t get upset, for today is an invitation from God for you to value every word He speaks, and to do accordingly with each word as He invites. The choice is yours.
- 2. Before we begin revisiting it’s choice time through prayer, a personal prayer or this simple one. “Lord I ask today that You help me treasure, remember and record correctly each word You speak to me, Lord I lay down distraction, disregard, my need to understand, and instead I pick up Trusting in You, and treasuring Your spoken word. Thank You Jesus”.
- 3. Give Thanks, and Praise His Name.
Father God, thank You for this series and for the reminder that we cannot live on bread alone but on every word that comes from You. We give you our hearts, minds, wills so we can become more like Jesus and live out each word here on earth. In Jesus name amen.
Craig Patten
Itinerate Pastor/Prophet
Encounter Ministries
