A Sure Foundation
Have you ever prayed and believed God for something but been frustrated with the results? I would say that probably most Christians have. Of the many I talk to, I find a common problem: They’ve never planted the seed of God’s Word in their hearts. They don’t understand how it works. It’s like a woman who prays to get pregnant but hasn’t had a relationship with a man; there’s not going to be a baby. In the spiritual realm, it works the same way.
Somebody might say, “Don’t I have to believe I receive when I pray?” That’s according to Mark 11:24. And yes, it’s true: You have to believe you receive. But before you can receive, you have to conceive.
Here’s what I mean: Nearly all systems that people have created can be cheated or manipulated. The legal system can be beaten, letting the guilty go free. The educational system can be beaten, passing students who haven’t really learned the material. But the process of seed time and harvest can’t be undermined.
What if a farmer waited until he saw his neighbors reaping their crops before he sowed his seed? Regardless of how sincere he was or the justification for not sowing his seed at the proper time, he would not reap a crop overnight.
In Mark 4, the Lord taught three parables to illustrate how this works in the spiritual realm. The first of these parables, the story of the sower, is the key to unlocking all the others (Mark 4:13). If we don’t understand these truths, Jesus said that we won’t understand any of His other parables.
In the second parable, Jesus said,
So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. Mark 4:26-29
The seed is the Word of God (Mark 4:14), and the ground is our hearts (Mark 4:15). Our hearts were created by God to bring forth fruit when His Word is planted in them. Just as a seed has to remain in the ground over time to germinate, the Word of God has to abide in us if it’s going to bring forth fruit.
Jesus said in John 15:7,
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
If you want to receive a harvest, you can’t plant a seed in your garden and then dig it up every morning to see if anything is happening. It would kill the seed! You have to have faith that the seed is doing what God created it to do. Some people put God’s Word in their hearts for a day or two, but if they don’t see fruit almost immediately, they dig up the seed through their words and actions and then wonder why it didn’t work. It must be left in the ground over time.
Jesus talked about three different stages of growth in Mark 4:
First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4:28
Many people are impatient, wanting to bypass the growth cycle and get the full ear right now. I’ve actually had to tell people that what they were believing God for was not going to happen, not because the vision wasn’t good, but because they were expecting a complete ear of corn immediately. God’s kingdom operates on laws, like the laws that govern how a seed works. God will not give you the full ear of corn if you haven’t first seen the blade.
This is precisely the reason that most people don’t see God’s best come to pass in their lives. They think that since God loves them, He will just grant their request regardless of whether they put the miracle of the seed to work or not.
This law of seed time and harvest operates in every area of our lives. If we will plant God’s Word in our hearts and then allow the seed to germinate and the plant to grow to maturity, we will reap the fruit of a harvest. That is God’s best!
I cannot tell you strongly enough how important it is that you know God’s Word and that you plant the seed of His Word in your heart long before you need a harvest. It could mean the difference between prosperity and poverty or even life and death. I can say that when God quickens the Word to me and I know God has spoken to me, that is the greatest thing that I’ve ever experienced. It’s the reason I’ve experienced the miracles, financial prosperity, joy, and peace that I have. You need to understand these truths.
My teaching series, A Sure Foundation, will go into much more detail than I can here. I’ve got a CD series, a DVD series, and a brand-new book on this subject. I’m also offering a package with the CD or DVD series, book, and my Living Commentary Bible software as a download, all for $190 AUD. I encourage you to order these materials today. I believe the revelations they contain will change your life the same way they did mine.
To order, go to store.awmaust.net.au or call our helpline at +61 3177 7681.
We love you,
Andrew and Jamie
