THE WORD MUST ROOTED

Mark 4:5, 6, &16-17 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: 6.But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 16. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 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." Verses 5 & 6 tell us that the seeds fell on stony ground, where there was not much soil. However, the seeds grew quickly. When the sun came up, they were scorched and they withered away. Verses 16 and 17 supply the meaning. The stony ground represents those who, "when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness; but having no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arise for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." "Stony ground" recipients of the Word, represent those who get excited when they hear the gospel; they are eager to serve God, but have not taken the time to apply the necessary understanding to what has been heard. Consequently, when adverse situations come, due to the condition of their minds, they are quickly discouraged; readily offended; or easily depressed.  In other words, they lack endurance, courage,  fortitude, and of course unyielding faith to continue to trust God. Jesus does not want our desires to serve Him, to be based only on our emotions or our feelings. Our emotions can sometimes be situational or conditional. There are times when we feel upbeat at one moment and downcast at the other. Instead, He wants us to make intellectual decisions to serve Him. In essence, we must allow the Holy Spirit to daily teach and guide us; so that the Word can take root in our minds; and we will become well-grounded in the truth. In response, Psalms 119:11 states,  "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." When the Word is hidden in our hearts, it means that the Word has taken root and therefore cannot be easily pulled out; or removed. May we not be "stony ground" recipients of the Word; but rather be like the Psalmist David and hide the Word in our hearts, by the prayerful,  daily study of the Word, and by applying it to our lives, so that we will not sin against God.