Minister’s Corner: The importance of our relationship with the living Word

In the 13th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, we find that Jesus spoke to the multitudes. He used the parable of the sower and stressed the importance of the soil upon which the seed fell. We read in verses 5-7 KJV, “Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.” Jesus was pointing out to the crowds that there are those who receive the word but do not have the depth to endure, so when tribulation or persecution arises they are offended. On the other hand, there are those who hear the word but allow the cares of this world and the desire for riches to cause them to be unfruitful. As born again Christians, we must realize how important our relationship to the living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, is. It is the most precious thing we have and should be nurtured at all costs.
Those people who settle for a shallow relationship with Christ will find they will never have the depth to make it through the rough spots of life. The fact is many people are only interested in making sure they will avoid hell and they can turn to Christ for help in times of trouble. They are not really interested in a meaningful relationship with Christ because they are scared of the costs to themselves. They want their cake and to be able to eat it too. They think it’s fine to have this kind of spiritual life, but, in reality, this is far from what Jesus expects of His disciples - His followers. This lack of spiritual depth will lead to nothing but a withered and dead spiritual life. Yet, we are seeing this in the modern day church. It’s time we realize how important our relationship with Christ is and do everything within our power to build that relationship.