Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

January 11– Morning

 by C. H. Spurgeon, Revised and Edited by W. C. Neff

“These have no root.” 

–Luke 8:13

 

My soul, examine yourself this morning by the light of this passage. You have received the word with joy, and your feelings have been stirred. But remember, to entertain God’s Word is one thing, but to receive Jesus into your very soul is quite another. Beware! Superficial feeling is often joined to inward hardness of heart, and a lively reaction to the Word is not always a lasting one.

In this parable, the seed that fell upon the rocky ground was covered over with only a thin layer of dirt. When the seed tried to take root it was unable to push down into the hard rock, so it spent its strength pushing its green shoot upward as high as it could. Without roots, it withered. I wonder if this is a picture of my faith? Have I been seeming to grow in the Christian Faith without being rooted in Jesus? True growth is both upwards and downwards at the same time. I must be rooted in Jesus, for I cannot flourish with a rocky, unbroken, unsanctified heart.

Let me avoid a godliness that seems to grow quickly but lacks endurance. Let me count the cost of being a follower of Jesus. Above all let me feel the energy of his Holy Spirit, and then I’ll have an enduring seed in my soul. If my heart remains hard, the sun of trial will scorch me, and my faith will soon die, and my despair will be terrible. Therefore, O heavenly Sower, plow me first. Then, cast the truth into me, and let me bear for you a bountiful harvest. [M&E]