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THE WORD MUST PRODUCE

When you go to the shop and buy a packet of seeds, you will expect those seeds to will always produce SOMETHING, whether it is flowers or fruit.

Given the right conditions, what will happen to the seed? It will produce a flower. It has no option, it simply must. If the right conditions are not in place the seed will die without producing what it was meant to.

Why are there so many seeds in the bag? Some of them might get eaten by insects or other animals or may be blown away by the wind and so on. Therefore, it’s not just about planting the seeds but keeping them planted for a long enough time for them to produce.

The Bible says in Luke 8:11 that the Word of God is a seed. “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word”. If it is planted in the correct conditions, it must produce.

We need to realise this truth. The word simply MUST produce something. I want you to have confidence that the Word you are reading, meditating on and speaking over your situation CANNOT produce nothing. It MUST accomplish what it has been sent to do.

Time that you spend planting the truth of the Word of God in your life is not wasted. Some people will say, how can words on a page, written so many years ago, actually achieve anything new? Isaiah 55: 8-11 says:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.

11 IT IS THE SAME WITH MY WORD. I SEND IT OUT, AND IT ALWAYS PRODUCES FRUIT. IT WILL AC- COMPLISH ALL I WANT IT TO, AND IT WILL PROSPER EVERYWHERE I SEND IT.

I want to encourage you to prayerfully and led by The Holy Spirit seek out scriptures that will produce what you want to see in your situation. Are you experiencing issues in your relationships? You need to sow the Word of God into your situation. Read it, speak it, live it! The Seed MUST Produce!

Now we said at the beginning that given the right conditions, all seed MUST produce.

What are the conditions?If we read Luke 8:12-15, we see that:

Some hear /read the word only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts to prevent them from believing.

• Then there are those who are happy to receive the Word but they only believe for a while until temptation comes.

• Others hear the Word but they don’t meditate and stay on it because they are distracted by the pleasures of the world and riches etc.

THOSE PEOPLE WHO SEE THE HARVEST PRODUCED BY THE WORD ARE THOSE WHO HEAR IT, CLING TO IT AND ARE PATIENT.

The central theme here is faith. Various things can affect our ability to believe and have faith in the Word. Without your faith, that Word cannot produce. Unbelief, temptation, troubles and world distractions can all prevent the seed of the Word of God producing a harvest.

Have you ever seen a video of a rodeo rider? You will see how the rider holds on despite all the efforts of the bull to throw off the rider?

That is the way we need to determine to hold on to the Word of God, no matter what comes to try and throw us off.

• Another important thing we can do with the Word is to give it our whole-hearted attention.

Prov. 4:20-21 says: “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart.”

If we keep our eyes on the word it will crowd doubt out of our minds.

• We should keep God’s words and treasure them within us.

Prov. 7:1 “My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you.”

• To build our faith we should speak the Word with our mouth (Joshua 1:8 – “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth”.

• Most importantly, we should obey the Word. Simply put, we should do what it says. True faith leads to obedience “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” said Jesus (Luke 11:28). “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22).

Now what sorts of things can the Word produce?

The Word is alive, and it can produce what you need it to as long as it is in line with the will of God. You can’t be twisting scripture!! That is why you need to be Spirit led and prayerful when reading the Word. The same scripture will produce different things at different times and in different people depending on the situation and the revelation you have about what God is saying through that scripture in that moment.

What else can the Word produce?

The Word will produce growth in your strength against temptation

1 John 2:14 NLT “God’s word lives in your hearts and you have won your battle with the evil one”.

The Word will produce growth in your effectiveness in prayer.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7)

Notice how effectiveness in prayer arises from the Word abiding in your soul: “If… my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”

The strength of our praying shows how much or how little the word of God dwells, abides, remains in us.

The Word will produce growth in your wisdom and discernment.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. (Colossians 3:16)

A rich and regular diet of the word of God will increase your wisdom. The Bible is the Word of God. It comes from the mind of God. Thinking God’s thoughts after him is the best

Are you experiencing issues in your relationships? You need to sow the Word of God into your situation. Read it, speak it,live it! The Seed MUST Produce

way to grow in wisdom for every area of your life.

The Word will produce growth in your joy and thanksgiving.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

A rich diet of the Word of Christ always produces more joy and thanksgiving in the lives of God’s people than if you drift through life with your Bible closed.

The Word will produce growth in your faith.

You can build your faith by paying attention to the preached Word.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17).

The Word gives a new spiritual life when received.

“Your Word has given me life” (Psalm 119:50).

The Word produces hope

Romans 15:4 “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled”.

The Word Produces Freedom

“It gives us truth. And that truth, if we really know it, will make us free (John 8:31-32). Through the Word, we can cleanse our way and keep sin out of our lives”.

The Word Produces love in us

1 Timothy 1:5 “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith”.

The Word Produces Healing

If we need physical healing, we should apply God’s Words and promises. Proverbs 4:22). “For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.”

The Word Produces Prosperity

Joshua 1:8 “meditate on the Word night and day, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Everything that is really important for the man of God in his ministry can be obtained through the Word. The Word is given, “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17).

Andrea Onduku

www.mattersofheart.org