Deep Roots

Mar 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth

Mar 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.





Roots deep into the earth.

Roots deep into the word of God.





Mar 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mar 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.





When affliction or persecution arises for Jesus' sake.





How often would you say you are afflicted or persecuted for Jesus' sake? Take a few moments and think about it. Take a few more minutes if you need to. For worshipping God, for loving God, for believing in Jesus, for following your Savior- when were you afflicted for that? When were you persecuted. I don't know about you, but I'm afflicted and persecuted daily. No, I don't get stones thrown at me. I don't have people rioting about my house threatening to kill me. I don't have people verbally abusing me for my faith. Many are persecuted that way, many are afflicted with heavy burdens by other people for their faith, probably a lot more people than we realize face a lot of hardship just because they believe in God and God's Son.





The affliction and persecution I'm talking about is different than the sort we often envision upon reading these verses. We think back to the early days of Christianity and how horrifically the followers of Christ were treated- tortured mercilessly. We think of that sort of persecution and often fail to consider this other sort of persecution and affliction.





Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.



The Contemporary English Version of the Bible says this--



(CEV) We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.



The International Standard Version says this--



(ISV) For our struggle is not against a human opponent, but against rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers in the darkness around us, against evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.





Struggling, fighting, wrestling- does this sound like affliction and persecution? To struggle, to fight, to wrestle you have to have an opponent to do this with. Even when people say they are fighting with themselves they are fighting against opposing self desires- the desire to follow God and do things acceptable to Him and the desire to follow self and fall to the tempter's snares. A fight involves at least a dual component.





Our persecution is a daily, on going event in our lives and like a lot of things some days it will be more and some days less. The afflictions can come at any time and make no mistake, most of our upsets are Satan induced. If Satan can persecute us and get us to give up on God, get us to lose faith, he will!



Mar 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mar 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.





People hearing about Jesus, people lost in the love of Jesus, people immersed in the new birth with their Savior seem to have a protective bubble about them. The newness of it all just overwhelms every other thing in life. The invincibility of that new walk with Christ truly is like that seed falling to the ground and finding all it needs to come to life. The hard outer shell of the seed breaks open due to the nutrients it finds in the soil and along with moisture and sunlight it begins its new life. How happy are you when you sow seeds and a few days or so later you witness the seedling rising from the ground. I don't know about you but I'm thrilled! I love witnessing the sight of new life, new growth it sparks something inside me to see the fruitfulness of that dry seed becoming so much more. Then I watch it, tending it and day after day I'm pleased with it's growing. I'm not pleased when one of the seedlings withers and dies, not pleased at all. When that root doesn't take, and there is no protection in the little seedling to keep the sun's heat from destroying it, I'm far from happy. The death of that new life is tragic. Seriously. Maybe it's not tragic on the level of human life, but it's still life that has withered up and away never reaching its full potential, its full growth. When we do NOT partake of the spiritual food necessary to our spiritual growth, we will wither up and away as well. I don't care if you've been a Christian for two days, two months, two years, or two decades- your spiritual life can die. As a new Christian facing hardship - facing spiritual persecution and affliction, yes, you're more likely to just return to your former life. But any Christian is susceptible to succumbing to the scorching heat of Satan's abuse. The oldest living tree could have the deepest roots, the thickest trunk, but it too can die if all it's sustenance is taken away- it might take awhile but it will die.





We need to recognize that spiritual affliction can be found in the smallest thing that irritates us. Satan would have us just blow it off to being part of 'life', but in truth he's hard at work using every little thing he can to afflict us, to persecute us and ruin our Christian life. Anything that would take us away from our walk with Christ is potential disaster. We need to protect our roots, nurture our roots. If we want to be strong Christians we have to have very deep roots buried in the Word of God, buried in our Savior, entwined and twisted about each and every word of our Lord - ready to draw all the spiritual nutrients we can from our source of spiritual sustenance.





By the grace and mercy of our Savior!





Amen.